2000
#5,007
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,429
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.38
Rare Last name
Grenier
An occupational surname for a person who managed or worked in a granary or grain storehouse.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,017 Americans carry the last name Grenier. That puts it at #5,487 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,846 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grenier surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
7.0K
1 in 48,846
Census rank
#5,487
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,119 bearers of the surname Grenier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5487th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grenier, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grenier
The surname Grenier originated in France during the Middle Ages. It derived from the Old French word "grenier," meaning "granary" or "attic." The name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked in a granary or attic.
Records from the 13th century show the name was prevalent in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Picardy. Variations in spelling included Greniez, Grenyer, and Greniere. The name may have also been influenced by place names like Grenier-Montgon, a commune in the Nièvre department.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Grenier appears in the 1292 census records of Paris, which lists a Jacques Grenier as a resident. In the 14th century, the name can be found in the tax rolls of the city of Rouen, where a Jean Grenier is recorded as a merchant.
Notable figures throughout history with the surname Grenier include:
1. Jean-Baptiste Grenier (1753-1841), a French military commander who served under Napoleon Bonaparte.
2. Fernand Grenier (1901-1992), a French composer and conductor known for his film scores.
3. Édouard Grenier (1819-1901), a French writer and historian who specialized in the study of ancient Gallo-Roman culture.
4. Pierre Grenier (1575-1649), a French Jesuit priest and mathematician who contributed to the development of calculus.
5. Alexis Grenier (1775-1846), a French politician and lawyer who served as a deputy in the National Convention during the French Revolution.
The surname Grenier has a rich history rooted in the northern regions of France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including military leaders, composers, writers, and mathematicians.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grenier
Among Census respondents with the surname Grenier, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Grenier bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Grenier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 5,559
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 230
- Two or more races3.6% · 220
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 39
- Black or African American0.5% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grenier
Grenier appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,509
+80 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 2.21
Rank movement Down 338 places
2020
#5,487
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,119
-390 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 2.05
Rank movement Down 142 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,007 | 6,429 | 2.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,345 | 6,509 | 2.21 | +80 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 338 places |
| 2020 | #5,487 | 6,119 | 2.05 | -390 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 142 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Grenier surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,345 | #5,487 | -2.7% |
| Count | 6,509 | 6,119 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.21 | 2.05 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grenier bearers went from 6,509 to 6,119 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 142 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,345 to #5,487.
FAQ
Grenier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grenier?
Name Census estimates that about 7,017 living Americans carry the surname Grenier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,846 residents.
How common is Grenier?
Grenier ranks #5,487 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,119 people with the surname Grenier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,017), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Grenier.
Has Grenier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grenier went from 6,509 recorded bearers to 6,119. That is a decrease of 390 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,345 to #5,487.
What does the Census say about the background of Grenier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grenier, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Grenier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (5,559 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grenier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Grenier (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Grenier mean?
An occupational surname for a person who managed or worked in a granary or grain storehouse. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Grenier (2.05 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Grenier?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.