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

Grethen, 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 Grethen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Grethen in America

Grethen is the 160975th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Grethen surname appeared 100 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 Grethen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Grethen 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 Grethen

The surname GRETHEN is of German origin, first appearing in historical records as early as the 14th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, deriving from the Old German word "grethan" meaning "to lament or mourn." This suggests the name may have initially been a descriptive surname given to someone known for their somber or melancholic demeanor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the GRETHEN name can be found in the Nuremberg Municipal Archives, where a Johannes Grethen is mentioned in a document dated 1387. In the late 15th century, the name appears in the town records of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, with a Hanns Grethen listed as a resident in 1492.

The GRETHEN surname has also been linked to various place names throughout Germany, such as the town of Grethenberg in Lower Saxony. It is possible that the name may have originated as a locational surname, referring to someone who hailed from one of these places.

Notable individuals bearing the GRETHEN surname include Hans Grethen (1455-1522), a renowned German artist and woodcarver who worked on several churches and monasteries in Bavaria during the late Gothic period. Another significant figure was Johann Grethen (1612-1682), a Lutheran theologian and author who served as the rector of the University of Jena in the mid-17th century.

In the 18th century, a Katharina Grethen (1725-1804) gained recognition as a skilled weaver and textile artist in the town of Freiburg im Breisgau. Her intricate tapestries and embroidered works were highly sought after by local nobility and wealthy patrons.

Moving into the 19th century, there was a notable artist named Wilhelm Grethen (1846-1912) who specialized in landscape and genre paintings. Born in Düsseldorf, his works were exhibited in various galleries throughout Germany and Europe during his lifetime.

Finally, a more recent figure of note was the German chemist and physicist Max Grethen (1892-1975). He made significant contributions to the field of physical chemistry, particularly in the study of reaction kinetics and molecular structures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Grethen

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

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

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

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