2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Grindal
A surname derived from a location name containing a mill or grind stone.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Grindal. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grindal 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Grindal with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Grindal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grindal, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grindal
The surname Grindal has its origins in the Nordic countries, particularly in Norway and Sweden. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from an Old Norse word "grind," which referred to a gate, fence, or railing. It is likely that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a gate or worked as a gatekeeper.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Grindal can be found in the Swedish census records from the 16th century. The name appeared in various spellings, such as Grindahl, Grindahl, and Grindal, reflecting the regional variations and the influence of different languages.
In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the name was Edmund Grindal (1519-1583), an English churchman who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1575 until his death. He played a significant role in the Elizabethan Religious Settlement and was known for his moderate stance on religious reforms.
Another prominent individual with the surname Grindal was Håkan Grindal (1631-1684), a Swedish diplomat and statesman. He served as the Governor-General of Swedish Pomerania and was involved in various diplomatic missions during the latter part of the 17th century.
In the 18th century, the name appeared in various historical documents, including church records and land registries. One example is Jonas Grindal (1720-1798), a Swedish clergyman and author who published several religious works and contributed to the development of the Swedish language.
During the 19th century, the Grindal surname gained wider recognition with the emergence of notable individuals such as Charles John Grindal (1831-1914), a Norwegian-American politician and businessman who served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.
Another notable figure was Nils Grindal (1842-1912), a Norwegian-American author and educator who played a significant role in the preservation of Norwegian culture and language in the United States.
Throughout history, the Grindal surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, including clergymen, diplomats, politicians, and educators. While the name originated in the Nordic countries, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grindal
Among Census respondents with the surname Grindal, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Grindal 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 Grindal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 6
- Two or more races4.5% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grindal
Grindal appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,445 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 3,445 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 Grindal 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 | #145,220 | #148,665 | -2.4% |
| Count | 114 | 111 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grindal bearers went from 114 to 111 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 3,445 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #148,665.
FAQ
Grindal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grindal?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Grindal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Grindal?
Grindal ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Grindal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Grindal.
Has Grindal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grindal went from 114 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Grindal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grindal, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Grindal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grindal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (5.4%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Grindal (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 Grindal mean?
A surname derived from a location name containing a mill or grind stone. 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 Grindal (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 last name Grindal?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Grindal on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.