Find out how popular the last name Greif is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Greif.

Greif, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Greif surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Greif in America

Greif is the 20971st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Greif surname appeared 1,255 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Greif.

We can also compare 2010 data for Greif to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Greif

The surname GREIF has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old High German word "greif," meaning "vulture" or "griffin." This name likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent landmark associated with these birds or had particular physical characteristics reminiscent of them.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GREIF dates back to 1295, appearing in a document from the town of Schwäbisch Gmünd in modern-day Baden-Württemberg. This record mentions a certain Cunrad Greif, who was likely a local landowner or tradesman.

In the 14th century, the GREIF name began to spread across various regions of Germany, with mentions in records from cities like Nuremberg and Augsburg. Some notable individuals bearing this surname during this period include Johannes Greif (c. 1350-1410), a renowned goldsmith from Cologne, and Heinrich Greif (c. 1380-1445), a respected jurist and legal scholar from Heidelberg.

By the 16th century, the GREIF name had become well-established across German-speaking lands. One prominent figure from this era was Andreas Greif (1516-1594), a Lutheran theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the spread of Protestantism in Saxony.

As the centuries progressed, the GREIF surname continued to be found throughout Germany and neighboring regions. In the 18th century, for instance, Johann Greif (1701-1777) was a respected composer and organist from Nuremberg, known for his contributions to church music.

Another notable bearer of the GREIF name was Wilhelm Greif (1828-1898), a German writer and poet who rose to prominence during the Biedermeier period. His works, which often explored themes of nature and the rustic life, earned him widespread acclaim and influence in literary circles.

As the GREIF surname spread beyond Germany, it also took root in other parts of Europe and eventually made its way to the Americas. One example is Joseph Greif (1862-1924), an American businessman and philanthropist of German descent who made significant contributions to the development of the city of St. Louis, Missouri.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Greif

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Greif.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Greif was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Greif has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Greif was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Greif, please contact us.

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