2000
#112,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 145
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Grisaffi
An Italian surname likely meaning "gray lock" or "gray tuft of hair".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Grisaffi. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grisaffi 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Grisaffi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grisaffi, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grisaffi
The surname Grisaffi originates from Italy, tracing its roots back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Tuscany, particularly in the areas around Florence and Siena. The name is derived from the Italian word "grisaffo," which means a type of precious stone or gemstone.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Grisaffi name can be found in a historical document from the city of Siena, dated 1287. This document refers to a merchant named Lorenzo Grisaffi, who was involved in the trade of precious stones and jewelry. The name's association with gemstones suggests that the family may have been involved in this trade or perhaps worked as jewelers.
In the 14th century, the Grisaffi name appears in several records from the city of Florence. One notable mention is of a Gian Battista Grisaffi, a renowned painter and artist who lived between 1357 and 1432. His works can still be found in various churches and museums across Italy.
During the Renaissance period, the Grisaffi family gained prominence in the city of Venice. A notable figure was Antonio Grisaffi (1499-1567), a renowned architect and engineer who was responsible for designing several iconic buildings in the city, including the Church of San Zaccaria and the Palazzo Grimani.
In the 17th century, the name Grisaffi surfaced in the southern Italian region of Calabria. One of the most prominent individuals with this surname was Francesco Grisaffi (1628-1704), a scholar and philosopher who authored several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy.
Another noteworthy individual was Girolamo Grisaffi (1770-1845), a military leader from Sicily who played a significant role in the Napoleonic Wars. He rose through the ranks and became a highly decorated general in the French Army, known for his strategic brilliance and bravery on the battlefield.
Over the centuries, the Grisaffi name has spread beyond Italy's borders, with families bearing this surname found in various parts of Europe and the Americas. While the name's exact origins may be shrouded in mystery, its connection to precious stones and the arts has left an indelible mark on its rich history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grisaffi
Among Census respondents with the surname Grisaffi, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Grisaffi 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 Grisaffi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9% · 112
- Two or more races5.1% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grisaffi
Grisaffi 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
-17 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,841 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-10 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,305 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,365 | 145 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 19,841 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 11,305 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 Grisaffi 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 | #132,206 | #143,511 | -8.6% |
| Count | 128 | 118 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grisaffi bearers went from 128 to 118 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 11,305 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #143,511.
FAQ
Grisaffi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grisaffi?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Grisaffi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Grisaffi?
Grisaffi ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Grisaffi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Grisaffi.
Has Grisaffi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grisaffi went from 128 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 10 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Grisaffi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grisaffi, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Grisaffi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grisaffi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.9%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Grisaffi (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 Grisaffi mean?
An Italian surname likely meaning "gray lock" or "gray tuft of hair". 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 Grisaffi (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 many people are called Grisaffi?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Grisaffi at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.