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

Griggs, 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 Griggs surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Griggs in America

Griggs is the 1437th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Griggs surname appeared 24,819 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Griggs.

We can also compare 2010 data for Griggs 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 Griggs

The surname Griggs is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "grig," meaning a small hill or ridge. It is believed to have originated in the 11th century as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a small hill or ridge.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Grigge" and "Grigges." This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

During the Middle Ages, the name was commonly spelled in various ways, including Grigge, Grigges, Gryggs, and Grygges, reflecting the inconsistent spelling practices of the time. Over the centuries, the spelling eventually stabilized to its modern form, Griggs.

The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk, where many early bearers of the name were landowners or farmers living near ridges or small hills.

One notable figure bearing the name Griggs was Sir Edward Griggs (1545-1611), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He served as the Recorder of York and was knighted in 1603.

Another prominent individual was Thomas Griggs (1683-1766), an English architect and surveyor who worked on various notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and the Queen's House in Greenwich.

In the 18th century, John Griggs (1720-1789) was a renowned English engraver and printmaker, known for his intricate landscape prints and book illustrations.

During the American Revolutionary War, Samuel Griggs (1756-1819) served as a lieutenant in the Continental Army and fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Monmouth and the Siege of Yorktown.

In the 19th century, John Griggs (1828-1903) was a prominent American politician and lawyer who served as the Governor of New Jersey from 1896 to 1898.

The surname Griggs has a rich history, originating from the Old English language and reflecting the geographic features of the areas where its early bearers lived. It has been carried by notable individuals across various fields, from law and politics to architecture and the arts, throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Griggs

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

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

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

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