2000
#99,725
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 168
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Grimmage
A surname indicating someone who lived near a wooded area or forest thicket.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 256 Americans carry the last name Grimmage. That puts it at #89,231 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,338,884 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grimmage 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
256
1 in 1,338,884
Census rank
#89,231
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
223
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 223 bearers of the surname Grimmage in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 89231st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grimmage, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.7%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grimmage
The surname GRIMMAGE has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be a locational surname, derived from a place name. The earliest records suggest that the name may have originated from a now-lost settlement called "Grimmige" or a similar spelling variation.
One of the earliest known references to the name GRIMMAGE can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, a historical record of financial accounts from the late 12th century. The entry mentions a person named "Robert de Grimmage" who was likely a landowner or tenant from the area.
By the 13th century, the name had spread to other regions of England, as evidenced by its appearance in various medieval documents and charters. One notable example is the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, which lists a "William Grimmage" as a taxpayer.
In the 14th century, the surname GRIMMAGE appears in the Court Rolls of Warwickshire, indicating that the name had established a presence in the Midlands region. One such record from 1379 mentions a "John Grimmage" who was involved in a land dispute.
As the name continued to evolve over the centuries, various spelling variations emerged, including Grymage, Grimmage, and Grimidge. These variations can be found in historical records across different counties of England.
One notable figure bearing the surname GRIMMAGE was Sir Thomas Grimmage (1560-1628), a prominent English lawyer and member of the Middle Temple. He served as a Member of Parliament for Maldon, Essex, in the early 17th century.
Another individual of note was Robert Grimmage (1680-1754), a renowned clockmaker from London. He was renowned for his intricate and precise timepieces, which were highly sought after by wealthy patrons.
In the 18th century, the name GRIMMAGE appeared in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham, where several baptisms, marriages, and burials were recorded for families bearing this surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GRIMMAGE surname in North America can be found in the colonial records of Virginia, where a William Grimmage is mentioned as a landowner in the 1670s.
Throughout its history, the surname GRIMMAGE has been carried by various individuals across different walks of life, from lawyers and craftsmen to landowners and tradesmen, contributing to the rich tapestry of English heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grimmage
Among Census respondents with the surname Grimmage, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.7%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Grimmage 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 Grimmage surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American89.7% · 200
- White5.4% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 6
- Two or more races1.8% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grimmage
Grimmage 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
#89,753
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 206
+38 bearers (+22.6%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 9,972 places
2020
#89,231
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 223
+17 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 522 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #99,725 | 168 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #89,753 | 206 | 0.07 | +38 bearers (+22.6%) | Up 9,972 places |
| 2020 | #89,231 | 223 | 0.07 | +17 bearers (+8.3%) | Up 522 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 Grimmage 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 | #89,753 | #89,231 | 0.6% |
| Count | 206 | 223 | 8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | 6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grimmage bearers went from 206 to 223 (+8.3% change). The surname moved up 522 positions in the national ranking, going from #89,753 to #89,231.
FAQ
Grimmage surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grimmage?
Name Census estimates that about 256 living Americans carry the surname Grimmage. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,338,884 residents.
How common is Grimmage?
Grimmage ranks #89,231 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 223 people with the surname Grimmage. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (256), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Grimmage.
Has Grimmage become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grimmage went from 206 recorded bearers to 223. That is an increase of 17 (+8.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #89,753 to #89,231.
What does the Census say about the background of Grimmage?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grimmage, the largest self-reported group is Black at 89.7%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Grimmage in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (200 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grimmage appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (89.7%), White (5.4%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Grimmage (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 Grimmage mean?
A surname indicating someone who lived near a wooded area or forest thicket. 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 Grimmage (0.07 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 last name Grimmage?
Want to know how common the surname Grimmage is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.