2000
#10,513
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,803
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.04
Rare Last name
Greve
A toponymic surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone who lived near a ditch or trench.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,106 Americans carry the last name Greve. That puts it at #11,173 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 110,352 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Greve surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 110,352
Census rank
#11,173
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,709 bearers of the surname Greve in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11173rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Greve, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Greve
Among Census respondents with the surname Greve, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Greve bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Greve surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 2,476
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 110
- Two or more races2.6% · 71
- Black or African American0.8% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Greve
Greve appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,104
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,857
+54 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Down 591 places
2020
#11,173
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,709
-148 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 69 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,513 | 2,803 | 1.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,104 | 2,857 | 0.97 | +54 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 591 places |
| 2020 | #11,173 | 2,709 | 0.91 | -148 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 69 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Greve surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,104 | #11,173 | -0.6% |
| Count | 2,857 | 2,709 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.97 | 0.91 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Greve bearers went from 2,857 to 2,709 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 69 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,104 to #11,173.
FAQ
Greve surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Greve?
Name Census estimates that about 3,106 living Americans carry the surname Greve. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 110,352 residents.
How common is Greve?
Greve ranks #11,173 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,709 people with the surname Greve. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,106), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Greve.
Has Greve become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Greve went from 2,857 recorded bearers to 2,709. That is a decrease of 148 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,104 to #11,173.
What does the Census say about the background of Greve?
Among Census respondents with the surname Greve, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Greve in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (2,476 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Greve appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (2.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Greve (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Greve mean?
A toponymic surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone who lived near a ditch or trench. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Greve (0.91 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Greve?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Greve on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.