2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Grindy
An English surname derived from a geographic location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Grindy. 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 Grindy 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 Grindy 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 Grindy 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 Grindy, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grindy
The surname Grindy has its origins in England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'grind', which referred to a deep pit or hollow in the ground. This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon someone who lived near such a geographical feature or worked in an occupation related to digging or mining.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1273, where it is spelled 'Grindey'. This document listed individuals who held lands and properties in various counties across England during the reign of King Edward I.
By the late 14th century, the name had evolved to its modern spelling of 'Grindy'. In the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1379, a John Grindy is recorded as residing in the village of Twywell, Northamptonshire. This suggests that the name had become well-established in the region by that time.
During the 15th century, the Grindy surname began appearing in various other historical records across England. A notable example is Thomas Grindy, a merchant from Bristol who lived between 1420 and 1489. His name is mentioned in several trade documents and ship manifests from the period, indicating his involvement in the maritime trade.
In the 16th century, the name Grindy can be found in the parish records of Staffordshire. One example is William Grindy, who was baptized in the village of Eccleshall in 1572. This highlights the spread of the surname across different counties in England.
Moving into the 17th century, the Grindy name appears to have gained prominence in the county of Derbyshire. In the Hearth Tax Returns of 1662, several individuals with the surname are listed as residing in the town of Chesterfield, including Robert Grindy and John Grindy.
Another notable figure bearing the Grindy surname was Samuel Grindy, a composer and musician from Yorkshire who lived from 1628 to 1704. He is known for his contributions to the music of the Church of England during the Restoration period.
As the centuries progressed, the Grindy surname continued to disperse throughout various regions of England, with families bearing the name settling in areas such as Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and the West Midlands.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grindy
Among Census respondents with the surname Grindy, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Grindy 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 Grindy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grindy
Grindy 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+14 bearers (+12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,427 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-19 bearers (-14.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,055 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+12.1%) | Up 3,427 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.6%) | Down 18,055 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 Grindy 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 | #130,610 | #148,665 | -13.8% |
| Count | 130 | 111 | -14.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grindy bearers went from 130 to 111 (-14.6% change). The surname moved down 18,055 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #148,665.
FAQ
Grindy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grindy?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Grindy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Grindy?
Grindy 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 Grindy. 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 Grindy.
Has Grindy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grindy went from 130 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 19 (-14.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Grindy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grindy, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Grindy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grindy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (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 Grindy (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 Grindy mean?
An English surname derived from a geographic location. 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 Grindy (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 common is the surname Grindy?
You can see how many people are called Grindy on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.