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

Gretsch, 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 Gretsch surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gretsch in America

Gretsch is the 107134th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gretsch surname appeared 166 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 Gretsch.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gretsch 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 Gretsch

The surname GRETSCH is of German origin, traced back to the 14th century in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. It is derived from the Germanic personal name Gratus, meaning "grateful" or "welcome." The earliest recorded spelling of the name was Gretsche, found in the records of the city of Nuremberg in 1348.

In the 16th century, the GRETSCH surname appeared in various historical documents across Germany, including tax rolls and church registers. One notable reference is from the town of Kirchheim, where a Johann GRETSCH was mentioned as a landowner in 1572.

The name has also been linked to several place names, such as Gretschen, a village in Saxony, and Gretschenberg, a hill near the town of Ruhla in Thuringia. These place names likely originated from people bearing the GRETSCH surname who settled in those areas.

Some of the earliest recorded individuals with the GRETSCH surname include:

1. Hans GRETSCH (c. 1500-1570), a renowned luthier (stringed instrument maker) from Nuremberg.
2. Konrad GRETSCH (1567-1628), a Protestant theologian and author from Saxony.
3. Johann Friedrich GRETSCH (1768-1849), a German philologist and professor at the University of Leipzig.
4. Friedrich GRETSCH (1772-1839), a German publisher and bookseller from Leipzig.
5. Friedrich Gretsch (1883-1895), a German-American who founded the Gretsch musical instrument company in Brooklyn, New York, which became renowned for its drums and guitars.

The GRETSCH surname has been found in various historical records across Germany and other parts of Europe, reflecting its long-standing presence and significance. While the name has evolved over time, its roots can be traced back to the Germanic personal name Gratus, reflecting the family's ancestral origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gretsch

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

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

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

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