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

Grinnell, 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 Grinnell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Grinnell in America

Grinnell is the 9038th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Grinnell surname appeared 3,615 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 Grinnell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Grinnell 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 Grinnell

The surname Grinnell is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "grene" and "hyll," meaning "green hill." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a verdant hilltop.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Grinnell name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named "Grenehill" in Oxfordshire. Over time, this spelling evolved into various forms, including Grenehyll, Grenhill, and eventually Grinnell.

During the 13th century, the name Grinnell appeared in several historical records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire and the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire. These documents mention individuals like Robert de Grenehull (1230) and William de Grenhill (1279).

In the 14th century, the Grinnell surname began to spread beyond its initial location. The Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire from 1327 list a John de Grenehull, while the Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 mention a John Grenhill in Nottinghamshire.

Some notable individuals bearing the Grinnell surname throughout history include:

1. John Grennell (c. 1490 - 1560), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Stafford.

2. Matthew Grinnell (1595 - 1648), a Puritan colonist who helped establish the settlement of Newport, Rhode Island, in 1638.

3. Joseph Grinnell (1788 - 1885), an American merchant and philanthropist who co-founded the Grinnell College in Iowa.

4. George Bird Grinnell (1849 - 1938), an American anthropologist, naturalist, and writer, known for his efforts in conserving the American bison.

5. Millie Grinnell (1898 - 1964), an American Broadway actress and singer who appeared in various musicals and revues during the 1920s and 1930s.

The Grinnell name has also been associated with several place names in the United States, such as Grinnell, Iowa, and Grinnell Glacier in Glacier National Park, Montana.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Grinnell

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

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

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

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