2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Grisier
An occupational surname referring to someone who dressed in gray or gray clothing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Grisier. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grisier 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Grisier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grisier, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grisier
The surname GRISIER originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "gris," meaning gray or gray-haired. This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone with gray hair.
The earliest recorded instances of the GRISIER surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the northern regions of France. In 1296, a Jean Grisier was mentioned in the tax records of the village of Noyon, located in the historical province of Picardy.
During the 14th century, the name GRISIER appeared in various documents across northern France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Île-de-France. For instance, a Guillaume Grisier was listed as a landowner in the village of Évreux in 1337.
In the 15th century, the GRISIER surname began to spread to other parts of France. One notable figure from this period was Jacques Grisier, a merchant from Lyon who lived between 1420 and 1488.
As the name became more widespread, variations in spelling emerged, such as Grisyer, Grissier, and Grizier. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of local scribes.
In the 17th century, a branch of the GRISIER family settled in the Champagne region of northeastern France. One of the most prominent individuals from this line was Claude Grisier (1642-1712), a renowned fencing master who authored several influential treatises on swordsmanship.
Over the centuries, the GRISIER surname has been associated with various notable figures, including:
1. Jean-Baptiste Grisier (1779-1845), a French fencing master who taught in England and wrote extensively on the art of fencing.
2. Auguste Grisier (1796-1879), a French landscape painter known for his depictions of the Normandy countryside.
3. Édouard Grisier (1825-1892), a French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Théâtre des Célestins.
4. Émile Grisier (1859-1934), a French politician and journalist who served as a deputy in the French National Assembly.
5. Henri Grisier (1878-1956), a French cyclist who won the Paris-Roubaix classic race in 1902.
While the GRISIER surname has its roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration and the French diaspora.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grisier
Among Census respondents with the surname Grisier, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Grisier 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 Grisier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.3% · 117
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grisier
Grisier 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,326 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+16 bearers (+15.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 14,446 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 12,326 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+15.5%) | Up 14,446 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 Grisier 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 | #157,234 | #142,788 | 9.2% |
| Count | 103 | 119 | 15.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 32.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grisier bearers went from 103 to 119 (+15.5% change). The surname moved up 14,446 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #142,788.
FAQ
Grisier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grisier?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Grisier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Grisier?
Grisier ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Grisier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Grisier.
Has Grisier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grisier went from 103 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 16 (+15.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Grisier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grisier, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Grisier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.3% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grisier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.3%), Hispanic (0.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Grisier (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 Grisier mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who dressed in gray or gray clothing. 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 Grisier (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 have the last name Grisier?
You can see how many people have the last name Grisier on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.