2000
#10,876
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,687
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.00
Rare Last name
Grewal
A surname of Indian origin, referring to a person from the Grewal Jat clan of Punjab.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,542 Americans carry the last name Grewal. That puts it at #5,841 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 52,393 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grewal 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Grewal with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.5K
1 in 52,393
Census rank
#5,841
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,705 bearers of the surname Grewal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5841st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grewal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grewal
The surname Grewal originates from the Punjab region of India, with roots tracing back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Grama-vala," meaning "village headman" or "village chief." This name was initially attributed to individuals who held positions of authority and leadership within their respective villages.
During the reign of the Mughal Empire, which controlled vast territories in the Indian subcontinent between the 16th and 19th centuries, the Grewal name gained prominence. Historical records from that era show Grewal families holding influential roles in various administrative and military capacities.
One of the earliest documented references to the Grewal surname can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This text mentions several Grewal individuals who served as local leaders and contributed to the governance of the empire.
The Grewal name has also been associated with the Sikh warrior tradition. In the 18th century, during the turbulent period of the Sikh-Mughal wars, several Grewal warriors rose to prominence for their valor and leadership on the battlefield. Bhai Maha Singh Grewal, a renowned Sikh warrior who fought against the Mughals in the late 17th century, is one such notable figure.
Another significant historical figure was Maharaja Ranjit Singh Grewal, a powerful ruler who established the Sikh Empire in the early 19th century. His reign was marked by territorial expansion, military prowess, and the unification of the Punjab region.
In the realm of literature, Bhai Vir Singh Grewal (1872-1957) stands out as a prominent Sikh scholar, theologian, and writer. His contributions to Punjabi literature and the revival of Sikhism in the 20th century are widely celebrated.
The Grewal surname has also been associated with various place names in the Punjab region, such as Grewalpur, Grewala, and Grewari, further solidifying its roots in the area.
Throughout history, the Grewal name has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including warriors, rulers, scholars, and community leaders, reflecting the name's deep-rooted connection to the rich cultural heritage of the Punjab region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grewal
Among Census respondents with the surname Grewal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Grewal 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 Grewal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.3% · 5,206
- White3.8% · 214
- Two or more races3.2% · 180
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 64
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 26
- Black or African American0.3% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grewal
Grewal 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
#7,772
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,270
+1,583 bearers (+58.9%)
Per 100,000 1.45
Rank movement Up 3,104 places
2020
#5,841
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,705
+1,435 bearers (+33.6%)
Per 100,000 1.91
Rank movement Up 1,931 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,876 | 2,687 | 1.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,772 | 4,270 | 1.45 | +1,583 bearers (+58.9%) | Up 3,104 places |
| 2020 | #5,841 | 5,705 | 1.91 | +1,435 bearers (+33.6%) | Up 1,931 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 Grewal 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 | #7,772 | #5,841 | 24.8% |
| Count | 4,270 | 5,705 | 33.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.45 | 1.91 | 31.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grewal bearers went from 4,270 to 5,705 (+33.6% change). The surname moved up 1,931 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,772 to #5,841.
FAQ
Grewal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grewal?
Name Census estimates that about 6,542 living Americans carry the surname Grewal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 52,393 residents.
How common is Grewal?
Grewal ranks #5,841 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,705 people with the surname Grewal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,542), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Grewal.
Has Grewal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grewal went from 4,270 recorded bearers to 5,705. That is an increase of 1,435 (+33.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,772 to #5,841.
What does the Census say about the background of Grewal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grewal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Grewal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (5,206 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grewal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.3%), White (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Grewal (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 Grewal mean?
A surname of Indian origin, referring to a person from the Grewal Jat clan of Punjab. 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 Grewal (1.91 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 many Americans have the surname Grewal?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.