2000
#3,167
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,396
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.85
Uncommon Last name
Griswold
An English occupational surname referring to a keeper or tender of pigs, derived from Old English "gris" and "weald."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,333 Americans carry the last name Griswold. That puts it at #3,523 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 30,244 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Griswold 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
11K
1 in 30,244
Census rank
#3,523
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.9K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,883 bearers of the surname Griswold in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3523rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Griswold, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Griswold
Among Census respondents with the surname Griswold, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Griswold 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 Griswold surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 8,730
- Black or African American4.0% · 394
- Two or more races3.4% · 332
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 298
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 89
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 40
Timeline
Historical Census data for Griswold
Griswold 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
#3,427
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,417
+21 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 3.53
Rank movement Down 260 places
2020
#3,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,883
-534 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 3.31
Rank movement Down 96 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,167 | 10,396 | 3.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,427 | 10,417 | 3.53 | +21 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 260 places |
| 2020 | #3,523 | 9,883 | 3.31 | -534 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 96 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 Griswold 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 | #3,427 | #3,523 | -2.8% |
| Count | 10,417 | 9,883 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.53 | 3.31 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Griswold bearers went from 10,417 to 9,883 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 96 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,427 to #3,523.
FAQ
Griswold surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Griswold?
Name Census estimates that about 11,333 living Americans carry the surname Griswold. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 30,244 residents.
How common is Griswold?
Griswold ranks #3,523 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.31 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,883 people with the surname Griswold. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,333), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.31 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Griswold.
Has Griswold become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Griswold went from 10,417 recorded bearers to 9,883. That is a decrease of 534 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,427 to #3,523.
What does the Census say about the background of Griswold?
Among Census respondents with the surname Griswold, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Griswold in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (8,730 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Griswold appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Black (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Griswold (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 Griswold mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a keeper or tender of pigs, derived from Old English "gris" and "weald." 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 Griswold (3.31 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 common is the surname Griswold?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Griswold on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.