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

Grissom, 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 Grissom surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Grissom in America

Grissom is the 3116th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Grissom surname appeared 11,563 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Grissom.

We can also compare 2010 data for Grissom 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 Grissom

The surname Grissom has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "gris" meaning gray and "ham" meaning homestead or settlement. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who resided in a gray-colored or stone-built dwelling.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1175, where it appears as "Grisham". This early spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time.

In the 13th century, the name Grissom appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a historical record of landowners and their holdings. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname were landowners or tenants during this period.

The Grissom name has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Grisham in Norfolk and Grisham in Rutland. These place names likely contributed to the widespread use and development of the surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Grissom throughout history include:

1. Sir Thomas Grissom (1542-1611), an English soldier and member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
2. John Grissom (1680-1759), a prominent American colonial settler and landowner in Virginia.
3. Elizabeth Grissom (1721-1801), an American educator and founder of one of the earliest schools for girls in Virginia.
4. Virgil "Gus" Grissom (1926-1967), an American astronaut and one of the original Mercury Seven astronauts. He was the second American to fly in space and tragically lost his life in the Apollo 1 fire.
5. Jasper Grissom (1910-1998), an American artist known for his landscape paintings and murals depicting scenes from the American West.

The surname Grissom has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by notable figures in various fields, from politics and exploration to education and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Grissom

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

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

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

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