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

Grimsley, 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 Grimsley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Grimsley in America

Grimsley is the 5901st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Grimsley surname appeared 5,848 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Grimsley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Grimsley 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 Grimsley

The surname Grimsley has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from the places called Grimsby or Grimston, which were named after an Old Norse personal name, Grimr, combined with the Old English word "by" meaning a farmstead or village.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Grimsley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as Grimesbi, referring to Grimsby in Lincolnshire. This suggests that the name was already established in the region during the 11th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Grimsley name was Sir William Grimsley, a prominent landowner and member of the gentry in the 13th century. He held lands in Derbyshire and was mentioned in various charters and records of the time.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as Grymesby, Grymesly, and Grymsley, reflecting the evolution of the English language and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

During the 16th century, notable figures with the Grimsley surname included Robert Grimsley (c. 1510 - 1572), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the city of London, and Thomas Grimsley (1551 - 1618), a clergyman and scholar who served as the Dean of Windsor.

Another significant figure was Sir Harbottle Grimsley (1594 - 1648), a renowned military commander who fought for the Royalist cause during the English Civil War. He was knighted for his service and bravery on the battlefield.

In the 18th century, the Grimsley family had established themselves as prominent landowners and industrialists in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. One notable member was John Grimsley (1732 - 1809), a successful industrialist and entrepreneur who owned several mills and factories.

Throughout its history, the Grimsley surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Grimsby in Lincolnshire, Grimston in Yorkshire, and Grimston in Norfolk, further reinforcing its locational origins and connections to specific regions of England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Grimsley

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

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

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

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