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

Grigley, 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 Grigley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Grigley in America

Grigley is the 93513th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Grigley surname appeared 196 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Grigley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Grigley 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 Grigley

The surname Grigley is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval period, specifically to the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "grig" or "gryg," which refer to a type of coarse grass or sedge that grew in marshy areas.

In its earliest recorded form, the name appeared as "de Grigley" or "de Gryglegh" in various documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. This prefix "de" indicated that the name was likely associated with a particular place or locality, suggesting that the family may have originated from a place called Grigley or Grygley.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Lancashire Inquests of 1311, which mentions a "William de Grigley." Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1379 recorded a "Johannes de Gryglegh," indicating the presence of the surname in that region during that time period.

The Grigley surname is also linked to several place names in Lancashire and Yorkshire, such as Grigley near Rochdale and Grygleton near Burnley. These place names likely derived from the same Old English roots and may have influenced the development of the surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Grigley include:

1. John Grigley (c. 1590-1662), an English landowner and member of Parliament for Wigan in the 17th century.
2. Thomas Grigley (1741-1811), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in Liverpool, including the Old Dock Warehouses.
3. Jasper Grigley (1794-1879), a British architect and surveyor who worked extensively in the city of Manchester.
4. Edith Grigley (1873-1954), an English poet and author who published several collections of verse.
5. Geoffrey Grigley (1917-1992), a British artist and sculptor known for his abstract works and involvement in the Constructivist movement.

While the Grigley surname has its roots in the northern counties of England, it has since spread to other parts of the country and even abroad, reflecting the migration patterns of families over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Grigley

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

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

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

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