2000
#13,012
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,160
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.80
Rare Last name
Grissett
Possibly derived from a French place name or a diminutive of the given name Griset, meaning "gray-haired."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,494 Americans carry the last name Grissett. That puts it at #13,390 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 137,432 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grissett 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
2.5K
1 in 137,432
Census rank
#13,390
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,175 bearers of the surname Grissett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13390th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grissett, the largest self-reported group is Black at 52.6%. The next largest groups are White (39.7%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grissett
The surname Grissett has its origins in the northern regions of France, particularly in the area of Normandy. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "gris," which means "gray," and may have been initially used as a nickname for someone with gray hair or a grayish complexion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Grissett can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property undertaken in England and parts of Wales in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Grisset," suggesting that it was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Robert Grissett was mentioned in the records of the town of Caen, in the Normandy region of France. He was a prominent merchant and landowner during that time period.
During the 14th century, the name Grissett appears to have spread to other parts of Europe, including England and Scotland. In 1379, a man named John Grissett was recorded as residing in the village of Wiltshire, England.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Grissett in Scotland was William Grissett, who lived in the town of Stirling in the late 15th century. He was a respected craftsman and member of the local guild.
In the 16th century, a notable individual named Thomas Grissett (1530-1599) was a prominent scholar and theologian at the University of Cambridge in England. He authored several influential works on religious studies during the Reformation period.
Another significant figure with the surname Grissett was Elizabeth Grissett (1680-1746), a renowned English writer and poet who gained recognition for her lyrical poetry and contributions to the literary circles of her time.
Over the centuries, the surname Grissett has undergone various spelling variations, such as Grisset, Grissit, and Grissitt, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic influences in different areas where the name was adopted.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grissett
Among Census respondents with the surname Grissett, the largest self-reported group is Black at 52.6%. The next largest groups are White (39.7%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Grissett 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 Grissett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American52.6% · 1,143
- White39.7% · 864
- Two or more races4.6% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grissett
Grissett 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
#11,388
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,769
+609 bearers (+28.2%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Up 1,624 places
2020
#13,390
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,175
-594 bearers (-21.5%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 2,002 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,012 | 2,160 | 0.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,388 | 2,769 | 0.94 | +609 bearers (+28.2%) | Up 1,624 places |
| 2020 | #13,390 | 2,175 | 0.73 | -594 bearers (-21.5%) | Down 2,002 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 Grissett 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 | #11,388 | #13,390 | -17.6% |
| Count | 2,769 | 2,175 | -21.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.94 | 0.73 | -22.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grissett bearers went from 2,769 to 2,175 (-21.5% change). The surname moved down 2,002 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,388 to #13,390.
FAQ
Grissett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grissett?
Name Census estimates that about 2,494 living Americans carry the surname Grissett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 137,432 residents.
How common is Grissett?
Grissett ranks #13,390 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,175 people with the surname Grissett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,494), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Grissett.
Has Grissett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grissett went from 2,769 recorded bearers to 2,175. That is a decrease of 594 (-21.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,388 to #13,390.
What does the Census say about the background of Grissett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grissett, the largest self-reported group is Black at 52.6%. The next largest groups are White (39.7%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Grissett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.6% (1,143 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grissett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (52.6%), White (39.7%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Grissett (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 Grissett mean?
Possibly derived from a French place name or a diminutive of the given name Griset, meaning "gray-haired." 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 Grissett (0.73 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 Grissett?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Grissett, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.