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

Greig, 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 Greig surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Greig in America

Greig is the 11423rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Greig surname appeared 2,758 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Greig.

We can also compare 2010 data for Greig 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 Greig

The surname Greig has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the lands of Greig, near Arbroath in the county of Angus. The name is believed to have evolved from the Gaelic word "grìog," meaning a small rocky hillock or a gravelly place.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The entry mentions Thomas de Greyge, a landowner from Angus.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, including Grig, Grigg, and Greyg, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. The Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1359 mention a William de Greyg, who held lands in Fife.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Greig family established themselves as influential landowners and merchants in the coastal towns of Angus and Fife. Notable figures from this period include John Greig (1570-1642), a successful merchant in Dundee, and Alexander Greig (1625-1701), who served as Provost of Montrose.

In the 18th century, the name gained prominence with the exploits of Samuel Greig (1735-1788), a Scottish-Russian admiral who played a significant role in the Russo-Turkish Wars and the expansion of the Russian Navy. He was born in Inverkeithing, Fife, and rose through the ranks of the Russian Imperial Navy, becoming a close confidant of Catherine the Great.

Another notable figure from this era is John Greig (1759-1839), a Scottish-American merchant and politician who served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and the Virginia State Senate.

The 19th century saw the Greig surname spread further afield, with individuals emigrating to various parts of the British Empire and beyond. One notable figure was Sir Robert Greig (1833-1908), a Scottish-Australian entrepreneur and politician who served as Premier of South Australia from 1884 to 1885.

In the 20th century, the name gained recognition through the achievements of Eric Greig (1904-1992), a South African cricketer who captained the national team and later served as a cricket administrator and commentator.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Greig

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

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 Greig 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 Greig 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 Greig was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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