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

Gridley, 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 Gridley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gridley in America

Gridley is the 15483rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gridley surname appeared 1,891 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Gridley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gridley to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Gridley

The surname Gridley is of English origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "gredian," which means "to cry" or "to shout." This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname for a town crier or herald.

The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1199, where it is spelled "Gredley." This indicates that the name was likely established in the East Midlands region of England during the medieval period.

In the 13th century, the name is found in various records with different spellings, such as "Gredley," "Grydley," and "Grydeleye." These variations reflect the evolution of the name over time and the influence of different regional dialects.

The name Gridley is also associated with several place names in England, such as Gridley in Staffordshire, which was recorded as "Gridelei" in the Domesday Book of 1086. This suggests that the surname may have originated from a place name in some cases.

One notable bearer of the name was Richard Gridley (1711-1796), an American engineer and artillery officer who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He was responsible for fortifying Breed's Hill and directing the artillery during the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775.

Another significant figure with the surname Gridley was Asahel Gridley (1810-1881), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 13th Attorney General of Ohio from 1859 to 1861.

In the 19th century, the name Gridley gained prominence with the birth of Charles Vernon Gridley (1844-1898), a United States Navy officer who played a crucial role in the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions.

Richard Gridley (1867-1950), an American architect, was also a notable bearer of the name. He designed several prominent buildings in Washington, D.C., including the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and the Hay-Adams Hotel.

Lastly, Erwin Gridley (1904-1980), an American engineer and inventor, made significant contributions to the development of aircraft landing gear systems and is considered a pioneer in his field.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gridley

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

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 Gridley 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Gridley has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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

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

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