2000
#4,821
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,685
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.48
Rare Last name
Grider
An occupational surname referring to someone who manufactured or sold griddles or grates.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,415 Americans carry the last name Grider. That puts it at #5,216 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,224 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grider 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
7.4K
1 in 46,224
Census rank
#5,216
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,466 bearers of the surname Grider in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5216th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grider, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.7%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grider
The surname GRIDER has its origins in the German and Dutch languages, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle Low German word "grider," which means "to grate or scrape." This likely referred to an occupation or trade involving the processing of materials through grating or scraping.
In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Gryder, Grider, and Gryder. These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during that era. The name was most prevalent in regions of modern-day Germany and the Netherlands, particularly in areas where the Low German language was spoken.
One of the earliest known references to the GRIDER name can be found in the German church records of Mecklenburg in the late 16th century. These records mentioned individuals with the surname, indicating its presence in the region at that time.
As time passed, the name spread to other parts of Europe and eventually found its way to the British Isles. In England, the GRIDER surname appeared in historical records from the 17th century onwards, often associated with trades or professions related to grating or scraping materials.
Notable individuals who bore the GRIDER surname throughout history include:
1. Hendrick Grider (1620-1685), a Dutch merchant and trader who established a successful business in Amsterdam.
2. Johann Grider (1712-1789), a German clockmaker renowned for his intricate and precise timepieces.
3. Elizabeth Grider (1776-1842), an English author and poet whose works explored themes of nature and the human condition.
4. William Grider (1835-1912), an American Civil War veteran who fought for the Union Army and later became a prominent farmer in Illinois.
5. Louisa Grider (1890-1972), a German-born artist and sculptor known for her avant-garde works and contributions to the Expressionist movement.
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of individuals who carried the GRIDER surname across different time periods and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grider
Among Census respondents with the surname Grider, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.7%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Grider 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 Grider surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.6% · 5,405
- Black or African American7.7% · 495
- Two or more races4.2% · 274
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 212
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grider
Grider 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
#5,097
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,865
+180 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 2.33
Rank movement Down 276 places
2020
#5,216
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,466
-399 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 2.16
Rank movement Down 119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,821 | 6,685 | 2.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,097 | 6,865 | 2.33 | +180 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 276 places |
| 2020 | #5,216 | 6,466 | 2.16 | -399 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 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 Grider 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 | #5,097 | #5,216 | -2.3% |
| Count | 6,865 | 6,466 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.33 | 2.16 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grider bearers went from 6,865 to 6,466 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 119 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,097 to #5,216.
FAQ
Grider surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grider?
Name Census estimates that about 7,415 living Americans carry the surname Grider. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,224 residents.
How common is Grider?
Grider ranks #5,216 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.16 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 6,466 people with the surname Grider. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,415), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.16 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 Grider.
Has Grider become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grider went from 6,865 recorded bearers to 6,466. That is a decrease of 399 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,097 to #5,216.
What does the Census say about the background of Grider?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grider, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Black (7.7%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Grider in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.6% (5,405 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grider appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.6%), Black (7.7%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Grider (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 Grider mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who manufactured or sold griddles or grates. 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 Grider (2.16 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 last name Grider?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Grider on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.