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

Greybear, 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 Greybear surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Greybear in America

Greybear is the 151532nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Greybear surname appeared 108 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 Greybear.

The history of the last name Greybear

The surname GREYBEAR is an English name that originated in the early 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "gre" meaning grey and "bera" meaning bear, likely referring to someone with grey hair or a grizzled appearance.

The name first appeared in written records in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was listed as "Greibear" in the county of Warwickshire. This early spelling suggests the name may have originally referred to someone who hunted or kept bears, perhaps as a gamekeeper or animal trainer.

By the 13th century, the name had evolved to its modern spelling of GREYBEAR and was found throughout the English Midlands and northern counties. One of the earliest recorded bearers was Sir John GREYBEAR, a knight who fought alongside King Edward I in the Welsh Wars of the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the GREYBEAR family established themselves as landowners in the village of Greybear's Green, located in the county of Cheshire. This place name likely derived from the family's surname and their ownership of the local manor.

Notable GREYBEAR family members throughout history include William GREYBEAR (1542-1621), a wealthy merchant and Mayor of Bristol in the late 16th century, and Reverend Thomas GREYBEAR (1678-1743), a renowned theologian and author of several religious texts.

During the English Civil War of the 17th century, the GREYBEAR family sided with the Parliamentarian forces against King Charles I. Captain Edward GREYBEAR (1610-1679) was a leading figure in the siege of Oxford and later served as a member of Oliver Cromwell's Protectorate Parliament.

The GREYBEAR surname also has a long history in Scotland, where it is believed to have been introduced by English settlers in the Border regions during the Middle Ages. One of the earliest recorded Scottish bearers was Alexander GREYBEAR, a landowner in Berwickshire in the late 15th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Greybear

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

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 Greybear 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.

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

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

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