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

Grindstaff, 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 Grindstaff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Grindstaff in America

Grindstaff is the 8736th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Grindstaff surname appeared 3,754 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Grindstaff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Grindstaff 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 Grindstaff

The surname Grindstaff originated in England during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "grindere," meaning a grinder or miller, and "stæf," meaning staff or pole. The name likely referred to an occupation or trade, specifically someone who operated a grinding staff or mill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Grindstaff can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, where it appears as "Gryndestaf." This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 13th century in the northern English county of Yorkshire.

The Grindstaff family can also be traced back to the village of Ecclesfield, located in the West Riding of Yorkshire. In the Hearth Tax Returns of 1672, several Grindstaff families are listed as residing in Ecclesfield, indicating their presence in the area during the 17th century.

Notable individuals with the surname Grindstaff throughout history include:

1. Robert Grindstaff (c. 1680-1758), an early American settler who migrated from Yorkshire to the Virginia Colony in the early 18th century, establishing the Grindstaff family line in the New World.

2. William Grindstaff (1776-1853), a prominent farmer and landowner in Ashe County, North Carolina, who served as a militia captain during the War of 1812.

3. Reverend John Grindstaff (1819-1897), a Baptist minister and circuit rider who helped establish several churches in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee.

4. Mary Grindstaff (1857-1935), a renowned quilter and folk artist from Haywood County, North Carolina, whose intricate quilt patterns and designs were widely acclaimed.

5. James Grindstaff (1892-1973), a World War I veteran and recipient of the Purple Heart, who later became a respected community leader in Bristol, Tennessee.

The name Grindstaff has also been closely associated with several place names in the Appalachian region of the United States, such as Grindstaff Cove and Grindstaff Branch, reflecting the historical presence of the family in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Grindstaff

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

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

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

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