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

Grisdale, 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 Grisdale surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Grisdale in America

Grisdale is the 92358th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Grisdale surname appeared 199 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 Grisdale.

We can also compare 2010 data for Grisdale 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 Grisdale

The surname Grisdale originates from the northern counties of England, particularly Cumberland and Westmorland, now part of Cumbria. It dates back to the late medieval period, around the 13th and 14th centuries.

Grisdale is a locational surname derived from the place name Grizdale or Grizedale, a valley in the Lake District of Cumbria. The name is believed to have originated from the Old Norse words "griss," meaning a young pig or piglet, and "dalr," meaning a valley or dale. Thus, the name likely referred to a valley where pigs were pastured or raised.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the Grisdale surname can be found in historical records from the 14th century in Cumbria. For example, in the Subsidy Rolls of 1332, there is a mention of a John de Grysedale from Westmorland.

In the 16th century, the Grisdale surname appeared in the Cumbrian parish registers, such as the baptism of George Grysedaill in 1558 at Greystoke, Cumberland. The spelling variations during this period included Grysdale, Grysdall, and Grisedale.

Notable individuals with the Grisdale surname throughout history include:

1. Robert Grisdale (c. 1634 - 1696), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Cockermouth from 1685 to 1687.
2. John Grisdale (c. 1685 - 1744), an English clergyman and author who published sermons and religious works.
3. William Grisdale (1718 - 1791), a prominent landowner and agriculturist from Westmorland, known for his innovative farming practices.
4. Thomas Grisdale (1801 - 1876), a British architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in Cumbria.
5. Reverend John Grisdale (1833 - 1911), an Anglican priest and headmaster of Kendal Grammar School in Westmorland.

While the Grisdale surname is predominantly associated with the northern counties of England, particularly Cumbria, it has since spread to other parts of the United Kingdom and beyond due to migration and settlement patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Grisdale

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

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

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

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