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

Grenz, 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 Grenz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Grenz in America

Grenz is the 24012th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Grenz surname appeared 1,050 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 Grenz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Grenz 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 Grenz

The surname GRENZ is of German origin, deriving from the Middle High German word "grenze," meaning "border" or "boundary." It is believed to have first emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century, as a locational name given to individuals who lived near a border or boundary region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the GRENZ surname can be found in the Prussian tax records of the 16th century, where it appears as "Grentz" and "Grenz." This suggests that the name was already well-established in various parts of what is now modern-day Germany.

Historically, the GRENZ name has been associated with families residing in border regions or areas near territorial boundaries. For instance, in the 17th century, there are records of a family named GRENZ living in the town of Grenzau, located near the border between the Palatinate and Hesse regions.

In the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the GRENZ surname was Johann Gottfried Grenz, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1717 to 1805. He was a prominent thinker during the Age of Enlightenment and authored several works on ethics and moral philosophy.

Another individual of historical significance was Friedrich von Grenz, a Prussian military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars. Born in 1782, he rose through the ranks and played a crucial role in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, where he commanded a brigade of Prussian infantry.

In the 19th century, the GRENZ name gained prominence in the field of cartography with the work of Karl Grenz, a German geographer and cartographer who lived from 1825 to 1892. He was renowned for his detailed maps of various regions in Europe and contributed significantly to the advancement of cartographic techniques.

Moving into the 20th century, one notable figure was Emilie Grenz, a German painter and illustrator born in 1892. She was part of the Expressionist movement and was known for her vibrant and emotive works, often depicting scenes of everyday life.

Throughout its history, the GRENZ surname has been associated with various locations and place names related to borders or boundaries, such as Grenzau, Grenzach, and Grenzmark, further reinforcing its locational origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Grenz

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

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

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

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