2000
#18,982
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,328
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.49
Rare Last name
Grewe
A surname of German origin possibly derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,587 Americans carry the last name Grewe. That puts it at #19,527 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 215,976 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grewe 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
1.6K
1 in 215,976
Census rank
#19,527
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,384 bearers of the surname Grewe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 19527th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grewe, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grewe
The surname GREWE has its origins in Germany, stemming from the northern regions of the country. It is believed to have emerged in the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century. The name is derived from the Middle Low German word "gru," which translates to "gray" or "green," potentially referring to a person's physical appearance or place of residence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GREWE can be found in the city archives of Hamburg, dating back to the late 16th century. It appears in a document from 1589, mentioning a merchant named Hans GREWE who traded in the Baltic region. Another early reference is found in the church records of Lübeck, where a family by the name of GREWE is documented in the early 17th century.
The surname GREWE has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One such individual is Johann Philipp GREWE, a German jurist and legal scholar born in Hannover in 1652. He made significant contributions to the field of Roman law and served as a professor at the University of Helmstedt.
Another prominent figure bearing the name GREWE is Wilhelm GREWE, a German diplomat and legal scholar who lived from 1911 to 2000. He played a crucial role in shaping Germany's foreign policy after World War II and served as the country's ambassador to various nations, including the United States and the United Kingdom.
In the realm of literature, Friedrich GREWE (1782-1850) was a German novelist and playwright known for his satirical works. His most notable publication was the novel "Der Mann ohne Vorurtheil" (The Man Without Prejudice), which offered a critical portrayal of societal norms and prejudices.
The name GREWE has also been associated with notable figures in the arts. Carl GREWE (1828-1904) was a German painter and engraver renowned for his landscapes and genre scenes. His works were exhibited in major European cities and are still held in high regard by art historians and collectors.
One of the earliest recorded place names associated with the surname GREWE is the town of Grewesmühlen in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, northern Germany. This name, which translates to "GREWE's mill," suggests that the surname may have originated from a specific location or family residing in that area.
While the surname GREWE is relatively uncommon compared to other German names, it has left an indelible mark on various fields throughout history, from law and diplomacy to literature and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grewe
Among Census respondents with the surname Grewe, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Grewe 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 Grewe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 1,236
- Two or more races5.2% · 72
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 49
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 21
- Black or African American0.3% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grewe
Grewe 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
#19,646
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,372
+44 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.47
Rank movement Down 664 places
2020
#19,527
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,384
+12 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.46
Rank movement Up 119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,982 | 1,328 | 0.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,646 | 1,372 | 0.47 | +44 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 664 places |
| 2020 | #19,527 | 1,384 | 0.46 | +12 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 119 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 Grewe 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 | #19,646 | #19,527 | 0.6% |
| Count | 1,372 | 1,384 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.47 | 0.46 | -1.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grewe bearers went from 1,372 to 1,384 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 119 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,646 to #19,527.
FAQ
Grewe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grewe?
Name Census estimates that about 1,587 living Americans carry the surname Grewe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 215,976 residents.
How common is Grewe?
Grewe ranks #19,527 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.46 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,384 people with the surname Grewe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,587), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.46 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Grewe.
Has Grewe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grewe went from 1,372 recorded bearers to 1,384. That is an increase of 12 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #19,646 to #19,527.
What does the Census say about the background of Grewe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grewe, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Grewe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (1,236 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grewe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Two or More Races (5.2%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Grewe (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 Grewe mean?
A surname of German origin possibly derived from a place name. 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 Grewe (0.46 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 people have the surname Grewe?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.