2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gripe
A surname likely derived from a place name or a medieval nickname relating to an argumentative or disgruntled person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Gripe. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gripe 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.
Bearers in the US
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Gripe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gripe, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.7%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gripe
The surname "GRIPE" is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the late 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "gripe," which means "grip" or "grasp," suggesting that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone with a particularly strong grip or someone who worked as a craftsman or laborer.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "GRIPE" can be found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327, where a John Gripe is listed as a taxpayer in the county of Oxfordshire. Another early reference is in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1346, which mentions a Thomas Gripe.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the name "GRIPE" appears to have been concentrated in the southern and central regions of England, particularly in counties such as Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. This may indicate that the name originated in these areas or that families bearing the name migrated there from elsewhere.
One notable individual with the surname "GRIPE" was Sir John Gripe (c. 1425-1489), a Knight of the Shire who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the Parliament of 1449. Another prominent figure was Thomas Gripe (1523-1589), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Somerset who served as the Sheriff of Somerset in 1572.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname "GRIPE" began to spread more widely across England, with records showing families bearing the name in counties such as Norfolk, Suffolk, and Kent. During this period, the name also appeared in various spellings, including "Grippe," "Gryppe," and "Gryppes."
One notable individual from this time was William Gripe (1558-1621), a renowned playwright and poet from Norfolk, who authored several works that were performed at the court of King James I. Another figure was Elizabeth Gripe (1610-1678), a prominent Puritan writer and religious activist from Kent, who published several influential pamphlets and tracts advocating for religious reform.
As the centuries progressed, the surname "GRIPE" continued to be found in various parts of England, with families bearing the name also migrating to other parts of the British Isles and, later, to the colonies in North America and other parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gripe
Among Census respondents with the surname Gripe, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.7%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gripe 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 Gripe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.6% · 82
- Hispanic or Latino11.7% · 12
- Two or more races3.9% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gripe
Gripe 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+4 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,333 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-13 bearers (-11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 11,033 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 5,333 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.2%) | Down 11,033 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 Gripe 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 | #143,149 | #154,182 | -7.7% |
| Count | 116 | 103 | -11.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gripe bearers went from 116 to 103 (-11.2% change). The surname moved down 11,033 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #154,182.
FAQ
Gripe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gripe?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Gripe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Gripe?
Gripe ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Gripe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Gripe.
Has Gripe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gripe went from 116 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Gripe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gripe, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.7%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Gripe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.6% (82 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gripe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.6%), Hispanic (11.7%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Gripe (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 Gripe mean?
A surname likely derived from a place name or a medieval nickname relating to an argumentative or disgruntled person. 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 Gripe (0.03 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 Gripe?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Gripe is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.