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

Gresham, 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 Gresham surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gresham in America

Gresham is the 3162nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gresham surname appeared 11,412 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Gresham.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gresham 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 Gresham

The surname Gresham originates from England and dates back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "græs" meaning grass and "ham" meaning a homestead or settlement. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a grassy meadow or pasture.

The earliest known recording of the surname Gresham appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Gresham" and "Gresseham." This suggests the name was already established in various parts of England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Many early instances of the Gresham surname can be traced back to the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk in East Anglia. There are several villages and parishes in these regions that bear the name Gresham, indicating the name's strong historical ties to the area.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the Gresham surname was William de Gresham, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1199. Another notable figure was Sir John Gresham (c. 1495-1556), a wealthy merchant and financier who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1547.

Sir Thomas Gresham (c. 1519-1579), a prominent English merchant and financier, is perhaps the most famous historical bearer of the Gresham surname. He founded the Royal Exchange in London and played a crucial role in establishing England's financial system.

Other notable individuals with the Gresham surname include:

1. Reginald Gresham (c. 1520-1573), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
2. George Gresham (1569-1649), an English landowner and Member of Parliament during the English Civil War.
3. Marmaduke Gresham (1603-1668), an English landowner and philanthropist who established the Gresham Almshouses in Norfolk.
4. Walter Gresham (1650-1718), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for the borough of Great Yarmouth.
5. Sir John Gresham (1747-1820), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.

The Gresham surname has also given rise to various place names, such as Gresham in Norfolk and Gresham College in London, founded in 1597 on the instructions of Sir Thomas Gresham's will.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gresham

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

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

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

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