2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Grisi
An Italian surname derived from a geographical region or town name, possibly Grisi in Italy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Grisi. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grisi 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Grisi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grisi, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grisi
The surname GRISI is of Italian origin, originating in the northern regions of Italy during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old Italian word "grisio," meaning "gray" or "ashen," which may have been used to describe the physical appearance or complexion of the earliest bearers of the name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GRISI surname can be found in a document from the city of Pavia, dated 1291, which mentions a certain "Petrus Grisius." This suggests that variations of the name were already in use by the late 13th century in the Lombardy region.
The GRISI surname gained prominence during the Renaissance period, particularly in the arts and music. One of the most renowned individuals with this surname was the Italian operatic soprano Giulia Grisi (1811-1869), who was born in Milan and achieved international acclaim for her performances in operas by Bellini, Donizetti, and Verdi.
Another notable figure was the Italian painter and architect Giovanni Battista Grisi (1622-1677), who was active in Rome during the Baroque era and known for his architectural designs and frescoes adorning various churches and palaces in the Eternal City.
In the realm of literature, the Italian playwright and librettist Felice Romani (1788-1865), whose birth name was Felice Grisi, contributed numerous opera librettos to composers such as Vincenzo Bellini and Gaetano Donizetti, including the celebrated opera "Norma."
The GRISI surname also has ties to the world of finance and banking. One notable example is Jacopo Grisi (1507-1572), a Venetian banker and financier who played a significant role in the economic affairs of the Republic of Venice during the 16th century.
Lastly, in more recent history, the Italian journalist and author Ernesto Grisi (1899-1969) gained recognition for his works on Italian history, culture, and literature, including biographies of notable figures such as Dante Alighieri and Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grisi
Among Census respondents with the surname Grisi, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Grisi 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 Grisi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino9.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grisi
Grisi 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-10 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 21,218 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+7 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,336 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 21,218 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+7.0%) | Up 9,336 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 Grisi 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 | #160,975 | #151,639 | 5.8% |
| Count | 100 | 107 | 7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grisi bearers went from 100 to 107 (+7.0% change). The surname moved up 9,336 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #151,639.
FAQ
Grisi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grisi?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Grisi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Grisi?
Grisi ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Grisi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Grisi.
Has Grisi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grisi went from 100 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 7 (+7.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Grisi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grisi, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.3%). 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 Grisi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grisi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Hispanic (9.3%). 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 Grisi (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 Grisi mean?
An Italian surname derived from a geographical region or town name, possibly Grisi in Italy. 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 Grisi (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 share the surname Grisi?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.