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

Grigsby, 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 Grigsby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Grigsby in America

Grigsby is the 3141st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Grigsby surname appeared 11,501 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Grigsby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Grigsby 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 Grigsby

The surname Grigsby has its origins in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English personal name Grigge, which means "Greek" or "son of a Greek". This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who had Greek ancestry or connections.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Grigsby can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1176, where it appears as "Griggesbi". This spelling variation indicates that the name was likely derived from a place name, possibly a location called "Grigge's by" or "Grigge's village".

In the 13th century, the name Grigsby appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it was spelled as "Greggesbi". This further reinforces the connection to a place name with the prefix "Gregge" or "Grigge".

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Grigsby was John Grigsby, who was born in Nottinghamshire, England, in the late 14th century. Another notable figure was Sir Robert Grigsby, a wealthy landowner from Yorkshire, who lived during the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the Grigsby family established themselves in various parts of England, including Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Cheshire. One prominent member was Thomas Grigsby (1532-1597), a successful merchant from London who amassed considerable wealth through his trade ventures.

During the 17th century, the Grigsby name gained prominence in Virginia, United States, where several members of the family settled and became influential in local affairs. One such individual was Hugh Grigsby (1806-1881), a prominent historian and author who wrote extensively on the history of Virginia.

Another notable figure was Nathaniel Grigsby (1619-1678), who served as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and played a significant role in the early development of the colony.

In the 18th century, the Grigsby family continued to expand their influence in various parts of the United States, with members residing in states such as Kentucky, Tennessee, and Missouri. One prominent individual from this period was John Grigsby (1762-1819), a pioneer settler and landowner in Kentucky.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Grigsby

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

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

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

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