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

Greve, 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 Greve surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Greve in America

Greve is the 11104th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Greve surname appeared 2,857 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Greve.

We can also compare 2010 data for Greve 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 Greve

The surname Greve originated in Germany and is believed to have derived from the German word "greve," which means "count" or "earl." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with a person who held a position of nobility or authority.

The name Greve can be traced back to the Middle Ages, and it is believed to have first emerged in the regions of Lower Saxony and Westphalia in northern Germany. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various medieval documents and records from these areas.

In the 13th century, there are references to individuals bearing the name Greve in the records of the Teutonic Order, a German Catholic military order that played a significant role in the Northern Crusades. This suggests that some individuals with the surname Greve may have been involved in these military campaigns.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the name Greve appeared in various municipal records and legal documents from towns and cities across northern Germany. This indicates that the name had become well-established in the region by that time.

One notable individual with the surname Greve was Johann Greve, a German composer and organist who lived from 1646 to 1724. He is recognized for his contributions to the development of the North German organ school and the composition of sacred music.

Another prominent figure was Georg Michael Greve, a German-born Dutch painter who lived from 1766 to 1854. He was known for his landscapes and portraits, and his works can be found in several museums in the Netherlands and Germany.

In the 19th century, the name Greve appeared in various emigration records, indicating that individuals bearing this surname had started to migrate from Germany to other parts of the world, including the United States and other countries.

Other notable individuals with the surname Greve include Ernst Greve, a German politician and journalist who lived from 1865 to 1942, and Olaf Greve, a German writer and philosopher who was born in 1965 and is known for his works on ethics and philosophy.

While the surname Greve has its roots in northern Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora, although its origins can be traced back to the Germanic regions of Europe and the Middle Ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Greve

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

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

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

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