2000
#8,528
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,559
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.32
Rare Last name
Grieco
An Italian surname likely derived from the Greek word "graikos," meaning a person of Greek heritage or culture.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,850 Americans carry the last name Grieco. That puts it at #9,302 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,027 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grieco 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
3.9K
1 in 89,027
Census rank
#9,302
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,357 bearers of the surname Grieco in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9302nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grieco, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grieco
The surname Grieco originated in Italy and has been present since the medieval period. It is derived from the Greek word "Graikos," which means "Greek." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to individuals who had Greek ancestry or ties to the Greek culture or language.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Grieco can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Barese, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bari in the Apulia region of southern Italy, dating back to the 11th century. This suggests that the name was already well-established in that area during the Middle Ages.
The name Grieco may also be associated with the town of Greccio, located in the province of Rieti, Lazio. This town was known for its Greek influences and may have served as a source for the surname. In fact, some records mention individuals with the surname "de Greccio" or "da Greccio," indicating their origin from this locality.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Grieco. One of the earliest was Pietro Grieco (c. 1300-1370), a renowned Italian jurist and professor of law who taught at the University of Bologna. Another notable figure was Girolamo Grieco (1519-1593), an Italian humanist and scholar who wrote extensively on classical literature and philosophy.
In the artistic realm, Giovanni Battista Grieco (1627-1692) was a prominent Italian painter of the Baroque era, known for his religious works and portraits. His paintings can be found in various churches and galleries across Italy.
Moving into the 19th century, Giuseppe Grieco (1836-1913) was an Italian politician and journalist who served as a deputy in the Italian Parliament and founded several newspapers, including "Il Popolo Romano."
More recently, Adriana Grieco (1880-1953) was an Italian actress and opera singer who performed in numerous operas and plays throughout her career, earning critical acclaim for her performances.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Grieco who have left their mark on various fields throughout history, showcasing the rich heritage and diversity associated with this Italian surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grieco
Among Census respondents with the surname Grieco, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Grieco 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 Grieco surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 3,053
- Hispanic or Latino6.1% · 206
- Two or more races1.7% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 24
- Black or African American0.3% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grieco
Grieco 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
#9,212
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,537
-22 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Down 684 places
2020
#9,302
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,357
-180 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 90 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,528 | 3,559 | 1.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,212 | 3,537 | 1.20 | -22 bearers (-0.6%) | Down 684 places |
| 2020 | #9,302 | 3,357 | 1.12 | -180 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 90 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 Grieco 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 | #9,212 | #9,302 | -1.0% |
| Count | 3,537 | 3,357 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.20 | 1.12 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grieco bearers went from 3,537 to 3,357 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 90 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,212 to #9,302.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Grieco
FAQ
Grieco surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grieco?
Name Census estimates that about 3,850 living Americans carry the surname Grieco. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,027 residents.
How common is Grieco?
Grieco ranks #9,302 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,357 people with the surname Grieco. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,850), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Grieco.
Has Grieco become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grieco went from 3,537 recorded bearers to 3,357. That is a decrease of 180 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,212 to #9,302.
What does the Census say about the background of Grieco?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grieco, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Grieco in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (3,053 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grieco appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Hispanic (6.1%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Grieco (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 Grieco mean?
An Italian surname likely derived from the Greek word "graikos," meaning a person of Greek heritage or culture. 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 Grieco (1.12 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 Grieco?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Grieco on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.