2000
#14,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,871
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Grizzard
A surname derived from a nickname for someone with gray hair or a grizzled appearance.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,152 Americans carry the last name Grizzard. That puts it at #15,091 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 159,272 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grizzard 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
2.2K
1 in 159,272
Census rank
#15,091
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,877 bearers of the surname Grizzard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15091st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grizzard, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Black (13.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grizzard
The surname Grizzard is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English words "gris" meaning "gray" and "ard" meaning "hardy" or "brave." It is believed to have emerged in the 7th or 8th century in the southern regions of England.
Early records indicate that the name was initially spelled as "Grysard" or "Grizzerd." One of the earliest known references to the surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a landowner named Grysard in the county of Wiltshire.
In the 13th century, the name Grizzard can be found in various historical documents, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded a William Grizzard in Oxfordshire. During this period, the name was also associated with certain place names, such as Grizard's Hill in Herefordshire.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Grizzard was John Grizzard, born around 1450 in Somerset, England. He was a prominent landowner and served as a local magistrate in his community.
In the 16th century, the name gained recognition with Sir Thomas Grizzard (1520-1589), a successful merchant and alderman in the City of London. He was known for his philanthropic efforts and founded a school for underprivileged children.
Another notable figure was Captain William Grizzard (1621-1678), a naval officer who served in the English Civil War and later became a member of Parliament.
During the 17th century, the Grizzard family established themselves in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Somerset, Wiltshire, and Oxfordshire. One prominent member was Reverend John Grizzard (1640-1712), a respected clergyman and scholar who authored several religious texts.
In the 18th century, the name Grizzard appeared in several literary works, including a reference to a character named Mr. Grizzard in the novel "The Vicar of Wakefield" by Oliver Goldsmith, published in 1766.
By the 19th century, the surname had spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond, with individuals bearing the name Grizzard found in Scotland, Ireland, and even in the British colonies of North America and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grizzard
Among Census respondents with the surname Grizzard, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Black (13.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Grizzard 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 Grizzard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.4% · 1,471
- Black or African American13.3% · 249
- Two or more races4.3% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grizzard
Grizzard 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
#14,881
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,988
+117 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 291 places
2020
#15,091
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,877
-111 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 210 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,590 | 1,871 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,881 | 1,988 | 0.67 | +117 bearers (+6.3%) | Down 291 places |
| 2020 | #15,091 | 1,877 | 0.63 | -111 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 210 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 Grizzard 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 | #14,881 | #15,091 | -1.4% |
| Count | 1,988 | 1,877 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.63 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grizzard bearers went from 1,988 to 1,877 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 210 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,881 to #15,091.
FAQ
Grizzard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grizzard?
Name Census estimates that about 2,152 living Americans carry the surname Grizzard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 159,272 residents.
How common is Grizzard?
Grizzard ranks #15,091 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 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 1,877 people with the surname Grizzard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,152), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 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 Grizzard.
Has Grizzard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grizzard went from 1,988 recorded bearers to 1,877. That is a decrease of 111 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,881 to #15,091.
What does the Census say about the background of Grizzard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grizzard, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.4%. The next largest groups are Black (13.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Grizzard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.4% (1,471 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grizzard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.4%), Black (13.3%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Grizzard (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 Grizzard mean?
A surname derived from a nickname for someone with gray hair or a grizzled appearance. 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 Grizzard (0.63 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 Grizzard?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Grizzard, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.