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

Griswold, 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 Griswold surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Griswold in America

Griswold is the 3427th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Griswold surname appeared 10,417 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 Griswold.

We can also compare 2010 data for Griswold 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 Griswold

The surname Griswold is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is believed to have originated in England. It is derived from the Old English words "gris" meaning "grey" and "wold" meaning "wood" or "forest." The name was likely given to someone who lived near a grey forest or wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Griswold name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was listed as "Grisewold." This suggests that the name was already in use in England during the 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various spellings, such as "Griswalde," "Grisewalde," and "Gryswold." These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

In the 13th century, the name was associated with a place called "Griseword" in Cheshire, England. This may have been the original location from which the Griswold family hailed.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Griswold name was Sir Roger Griswold, who lived in the late 13th century and served as a knight under King Edward I. He is mentioned in several historical records from that period.

Another notable figure was Matthew Griswold (1620-1698), who was born in Kenilworth, England, and later emigrated to the American colonies. He became the Governor of the Colony of Connecticut and played a significant role in the early development of the region.

In the 18th century, Gideon Griswold (1719-1801) was a prominent lawyer and judge in Connecticut. He served as a member of the Continental Congress and was involved in the American Revolutionary War.

The Griswold name also gained prominence through the efforts of Roger Griswold (1762-1812), who was a politician and served as the 16th Governor of Connecticut from 1809 to 1812.

One of the most famous individuals with the Griswold surname was Rufus Wilmot Griswold (1815-1857), an American anthologist, critic, and editor. He is best known for his work in compiling and publishing anthologies of American poetry and prose.

While the Griswold name has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Griswold

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

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

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

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