2000
#116,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Grimland
A surname potentially derived from a place name meaning "grim" (harsh or severe) "land" or landscape.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Grimland. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grimland 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Grimland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grimland, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grimland
The surname Grimland is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely in the 12th or 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "grim" meaning "fierce" or "severe" and "land" referring to a piece of land or territory. This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who inhabited or owned a particularly rugged or inhospitable piece of land.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Grimland can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1230, where a Robert de Grimelund is mentioned. This spelling variation, using "Grimelund," further reinforces the connection to the Old English roots of the name.
The Grimland name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which were a survey of landowners and their holdings. This record lists a William de Grymland as a landowner in the area, indicating that the family had established itself in this region by that time.
In the 14th century, the Grimland surname is found in various records across different counties in England, suggesting that the family had spread out and members were inhabiting various regions. For example, a John Grimland is recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, while a Thomas Grimland is mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1332.
One notable historical figure bearing the Grimland name was Sir William Grimland (c. 1430 - 1497), who served as a member of the English Parliament for the county of Kent in the late 15th century. He was also a prominent landowner and held various positions within the local government.
Another individual of note was Reverend John Grimland (1602 - 1668), who was an English clergyman and author. He served as the Rector of Hordley in Shropshire and wrote several works on religious and theological topics.
In the 17th century, the Grimland family had members who immigrated to the American colonies. One such individual was Robert Grimland (c. 1620 - 1690), who settled in Virginia and became a prosperous landowner and planter.
Over the centuries, the spelling of the surname has undergone some variations, with forms like Grymland, Grimelund, and Grimeland also appearing in historical records. However, the core elements of the name, reflecting its Old English origins, have remained consistent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grimland
Among Census respondents with the surname Grimland, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Grimland 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 Grimland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 7
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grimland
Grimland 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
#111,988
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 157
+18 bearers (+12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 4,135 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-40 bearers (-25.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 32,282 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,123 | 139 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #111,988 | 157 | 0.05 | +18 bearers (+12.9%) | Up 4,135 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -40 bearers (-25.5%) | Down 32,282 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 Grimland 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 | #111,988 | #144,270 | -28.8% |
| Count | 157 | 117 | -25.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grimland bearers went from 157 to 117 (-25.5% change). The surname moved down 32,282 positions in the national ranking, going from #111,988 to #144,270.
FAQ
Grimland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grimland?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Grimland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Grimland?
Grimland ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 117 people with the surname Grimland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Grimland.
Has Grimland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grimland went from 157 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 40 (-25.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #111,988 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Grimland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grimland, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Grimland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grimland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Hispanic (6.0%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Grimland (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 Grimland mean?
A surname potentially derived from a place name meaning "grim" (harsh or severe) "land" or landscape. 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 Grimland (0.04 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 surname Grimland?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.