2000
#7,726
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,966
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.47
Rare Last name
Grimaldo
An Italian surname derived from the Germanic name Grimoald, composed of the elements grim "mask" and wald "power, leader."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,719 Americans carry the last name Grimaldo. That puts it at #5,699 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 51,013 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grimaldo 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
6.7K
1 in 51,013
Census rank
#5,699
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,859 bearers of the surname Grimaldo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5699th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grimaldo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grimaldo
The surname Grimaldo originated in Italy and is a variation of the Italian name Grimaldi, which has its roots in the Germanic words "grim" meaning "fierce" or "stern" and "wald" meaning "ruler" or "commander". The earliest known record of this name dates back to the 11th century in the coastal region of Liguria, near Genoa.
The Grimaldi family rose to prominence in the 12th century when they established control over the Rock of Monaco and became the ruling dynasty of the principality. Rainier I, who was born around 1120, is considered the first Lord of Monaco from the Grimaldi lineage. The family's influence and power continued to grow, and they played a significant role in the political and economic affairs of the region for centuries.
In the 13th century, a branch of the Grimaldi family settled in the Kingdom of Naples, where they acquired territories and titles. One notable figure from this period was Giacomo Grimaldo (born around 1260), who served as a military commander and advisor to King Charles II of Naples.
The Grimaldo name can also be found in historical records from other parts of Italy, such as the Veneto region, where a family bearing this surname held feudal lands in the 15th century. One prominent member was Francesco Grimaldo (1432-1497), a noted jurist and diplomat who served under the Venetian Republic.
Outside of Italy, the Grimaldo surname has been present in Spain since the 16th century, likely brought by Italian immigrants or through marriage alliances. One notable Spaniard with this name was José Grimaldo (1660-1733), a statesman and diplomat who served as the Secretary of State for King Philip V of Spain.
Other historical figures with the surname Grimaldo include:
- Girolamo Grimaldo (1568-1632), an Italian painter active in Naples.
- Nicolás Grimaldo (1619-1683), a Spanish military officer and governor of Catalonia.
- Domenico Grimaldo (1735-1805), an Italian composer and music theorist.
- José María Grimaldo (1801-1873), a Mexican politician and diplomat.
While the Grimaldo surname has its roots in Italy, it has spread to various parts of the world over the centuries, carried by individuals and families who played important roles in their respective societies and contributed to the rich tapestry of human history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grimaldo
Among Census respondents with the surname Grimaldo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Grimaldo 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 Grimaldo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.6% · 5,545
- White4.1% · 239
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 47
- Two or more races0.2% · 13
- Black or African American0.1% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grimaldo
Grimaldo 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
#5,829
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,931
+1,965 bearers (+49.5%)
Per 100,000 2.01
Rank movement Up 1,897 places
2020
#5,699
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,859
-72 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 1.96
Rank movement Up 130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,726 | 3,966 | 1.47 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,829 | 5,931 | 2.01 | +1,965 bearers (+49.5%) | Up 1,897 places |
| 2020 | #5,699 | 5,859 | 1.96 | -72 bearers (-1.2%) | Up 130 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 Grimaldo 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 | #5,829 | #5,699 | 2.2% |
| Count | 5,931 | 5,859 | -1.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.01 | 1.96 | -2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grimaldo bearers went from 5,931 to 5,859 (-1.2% change). The surname moved up 130 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,829 to #5,699.
FAQ
Grimaldo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grimaldo?
Name Census estimates that about 6,719 living Americans carry the surname Grimaldo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 51,013 residents.
How common is Grimaldo?
Grimaldo ranks #5,699 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,859 people with the surname Grimaldo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,719), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Grimaldo.
Has Grimaldo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grimaldo went from 5,931 recorded bearers to 5,859. That is a decrease of 72 (-1.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,829 to #5,699.
What does the Census say about the background of Grimaldo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grimaldo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.6%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Grimaldo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (5,545 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grimaldo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.6%), White (4.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Grimaldo (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 Grimaldo mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Germanic name Grimoald, composed of the elements grim "mask" and wald "power, leader." 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 Grimaldo (1.96 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 are called Grimaldo?
See how many Americans have the surname Grimaldo on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.