Find out how popular the last name Grinwis is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Grinwis.
A German surname possibly derived from a place name containing "green" and "wood" elements.
Grinwis, 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 Grinwis surname is from the 2010 census data.
Grinwis is the 102197th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Grinwis surname appeared 176 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 Grinwis.
We can also compare 2010 data for Grinwis 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 102197 | 102691 | -0.48% |
Count | 176 | 162 | 8.28% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.00% |
The surname GRINWIS is of Anglo-Saxon origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period in England. One of the earliest recorded instances of this name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Grenewis." It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "grene" and "wis," which translates to "green meadow."
During the 12th century, the name GRINWIS was particularly prevalent in the counties of Northumberland and Yorkshire, suggesting that the family may have originated from these regions. It is likely that the name was initially a topographic descriptor, referring to someone who lived near a green meadow or a verdant area.
In the 14th century, records show a John Grenwis living in the village of Bamburgh, Northumberland. This particular spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames during that era, with various iterations emerging based on local dialects and scribal interpretations.
One notable figure bearing the GRINWIS surname was Sir Thomas Grynwys, a prominent landowner and knight who lived during the reign of Henry VIII in the early 16th century. He was born in 1495 and served as a member of the King's Privy Council, playing a significant role in the religious and political affairs of the time.
Another individual of note was Elizabeth Grenwis, born in 1598 in Yorkshire. She was a renowned herbalist and apothecary, widely sought after for her expertise in traditional remedies and medicinal plants. Her work contributed to the preservation of traditional knowledge and the advancement of early modern medicine.
In the 17th century, the GRINWIS name was also found in the town of Grinwis, located in the county of Wiltshire. This place name likely originated from the surname itself, further cementing its historical ties to the region.
The 18th century saw the birth of William Grinwis (1723-1798), a renowned architect who was instrumental in the design and construction of several notable buildings, including the Grinwis Manor in Oxfordshire, which still stands today as a testament to his architectural prowess.
Despite its relatively rare occurrence, the surname GRINWIS has left an indelible mark on the history of various regions in England, spanning several centuries and encompassing individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Grinwis.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Grinwis was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 99.43% | 175 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | 0.00% | 0 |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0 |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 0.00% | 0 |
Hispanic Origin | (S)% | (S) |
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 Grinwis has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 99.43% | 98.15% | 1.30% |
Black | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Two or More Races | 0.00% | (S)% | (S)% |
Hispanic | (S)% | 0.00% | (S)% |
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 Grinwis was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/grinwis-surname-popularity/">Grinwis last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Grinwis last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on September 23, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/grinwis-surname-popularity/.
"Grinwis last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/grinwis-surname-popularity/. Accessed 23 September, 2025
Grinwis last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/grinwis-surname-popularity/.
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