2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Greyerbiehl
A German locational surname derived from a placename referring to gray or dull in color.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Greyerbiehl. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Greyerbiehl 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Greyerbiehl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Greyerbiehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Greyerbiehl
The surname "GREYERBIEHL" is thought to have its origins in Germany, dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from a combination of the German words "greyer", meaning "grey-haired" or "elderly", and "biehl", which is a variant spelling of the German word "bühel", meaning "hill" or "mound". This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived on or near a grey hill or mound.
One of the earliest known records of this surname can be found in a German parish register from the town of Wuppertal, dated 1587, which mentions a "Johannes Greyerbiehl". This indicates that the name was already in use in the Rhineland region of Germany by the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the name "GREYERBIEHL" appeared in several historical documents from the Duchy of Berg, a small principality located in what is now the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. For instance, a tax record from 1624 lists a "Hans Greyerbiehl" as a resident of the village of Remscheid.
One notable individual with this surname was Johann Wilhelm Greyerbiehl (1658-1732), a German Lutheran theologian and author who served as a pastor in the town of Solingen. His works include several religious treatises and sermons published in the early 18th century.
Another person of historical significance bearing this name was Anna Maria Greyerbiehl (1738-1809), a German midwife and herbalist from the town of Elberfeld (now part of Wuppertal). She was well-known in her time for her extensive knowledge of medicinal plants and her skilled assistance in childbirth.
In the 19th century, a branch of the Greyerbiehl family immigrated to the United States, settling in the state of Pennsylvania. One of the earliest recorded instances of this name in America is that of Heinrich Greyerbiehl (1812-1887), a farmer and miller who arrived in Philadelphia from Germany in 1834.
Over the centuries, various spelling variations of this surname have emerged, such as "Greierbihl", "Greierbühl", and "Greyerbühl". However, the core elements of the name, reflecting its origins in German language and geography, have remained consistent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Greyerbiehl
Among Census respondents with the surname Greyerbiehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Greyerbiehl 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 Greyerbiehl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Greyerbiehl
Greyerbiehl 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+6 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,392 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-15 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,121 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 3,392 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 12,121 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 Greyerbiehl 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 | #143,149 | #155,270 | -8.5% |
| Count | 116 | 101 | -12.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Greyerbiehl bearers went from 116 to 101 (-12.9% change). The surname moved down 12,121 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #155,270.
FAQ
Greyerbiehl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Greyerbiehl?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Greyerbiehl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Greyerbiehl?
Greyerbiehl ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Greyerbiehl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Greyerbiehl.
Has Greyerbiehl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Greyerbiehl went from 116 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Greyerbiehl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Greyerbiehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Greyerbiehl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Greyerbiehl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Greyerbiehl (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 Greyerbiehl mean?
A German locational surname derived from a placename referring to gray or dull in color. 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 Greyerbiehl (0.03 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 share the surname Greyerbiehl?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.