Grizzle last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Grizzle

A surname derived from Old French meaning "grey-haired" or referring to someone with grey hair.

Grizzle, 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 Grizzle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Grizzle in America

Grizzle is the 7638th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Grizzle surname appeared 4,347 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Grizzle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Grizzle 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 7638 7413 2.99%
Count 4,347 4,147 4.71%
Proportion per 100k 1.47 1.54 -4.65%

The history of the last name Grizzle

The surname Grizzle is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old English word "gris" or "grise," meaning "gray" or "gray-haired." This surname was likely bestowed upon someone with grayish hair or a grizzled appearance.

The earliest known record of the name Grizzle dates back to the late 13th century, with a mention of a John Grisyll in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275. This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Grissell, Grissel, and Grysyl, in records across different regions of England. For instance, a William Grysyl was documented in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1349.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Grizzle was Sir Thomas Grysyll (c. 1400 - 1460), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire during the reigns of Henry V and Henry VI. His family's ancestral home was in the village of Grizlehurst, now known as Greasley, in Nottinghamshire.

Another early example is Richard Grissell (c. 1460 - 1520), a merchant and alderman in the City of London during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He served as the Sheriff of London in 1499 and was a benefactor to several charitable causes in the city.

In the 16th century, the surname Grizzle appeared in various spellings, including Grissell, Grisell, and Grizzle, across different regions of England. One notable figure was Edward Grisell (c. 1550 - 1620), a clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Somerby in Lincolnshire.

In the 17th century, the spelling "Grizzle" became more prevalent, as seen in the records of John Grizzle (1635 - 1705), a successful merchant and landowner in Yorkshire.

Another notable individual was Sir Benjamin Grizzle (1680 - 1754), a prominent naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the War of the Spanish Succession and later became an influential politician in the British Parliament.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Grizzle

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

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 Grizzle was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 88.15% 3,832
Non-Hispanic Black Only 7.22% 314
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.44% 19
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.64% 28
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.84% 80
Hispanic Origin 1.70% 74

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 Grizzle has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 88.15% 90.28% -2.39%
Black 7.22% 5.21% 32.34%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.44% 0.55% -22.22%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.64% 0.87% -30.46%
Two or More Races 1.84% 1.64% 11.49%
Hispanic 1.70% 1.45% 15.87%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Grizzle last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/grizzle-surname-popularity/.

"Grizzle last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/grizzle-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Grizzle last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/grizzle-surname-popularity/.

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