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

Grimstead, 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 Grimstead surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Grimstead in America

Grimstead is the 72568th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Grimstead surname appeared 268 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Grimstead.

We can also compare 2010 data for Grimstead 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 Grimstead

The surname Grimstead is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It likely stemmed from a place name referring to a settlement or town located in a grim or gloomy area, with "stead" meaning a place or settlement. The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be Grymstede in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John de Grymstede, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1349. This suggests that the name was present in various regions of England by the 14th century. The Grimstead spelling itself can be traced back to the 16th century, with an entry for Thomas Grimstead found in the parish registers of Aldenham, Hertfordshire, in 1564.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several mentions of places with similar names, such as Grimestede in Norfolk and Grimmestede in Suffolk, which may have contributed to the formation of the Grimstead surname. These place names likely referred to settlements surrounded by dense forests or located in areas with grim or foreboding landscapes.

One notable bearer of the Grimstead name was William Grimstead, a 17th-century English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Taunton and Canon of Wells Cathedral. He was born around 1620 and died in 1685.

Another individual worth mentioning is John Grimstead, a 16th-century English landowner and member of the gentry from Hertfordshire. He was born around 1550 and owned estates in the county.

In the 18th century, Thomas Grimstead was a prominent figure in the East India Company, serving as a merchant and factor in Bengal. He was born in 1705 and played a role in the company's trade operations in India during that period.

Moving to the 19th century, Samuel Grimstead was an English architect active in the early part of the 1800s. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including churches and public structures, in various parts of England.

Finally, one of the more recent individuals with the Grimstead surname was Arthur Grimstead, an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century. He was born in 1874 and made appearances for the county team between 1895 and 1901.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Grimstead

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

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

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

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