2000
#7,413
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,147
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.54
Rare Last name
Grizzle
A surname derived from Old French meaning "grey-haired" or referring to someone with grey hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,705 Americans carry the last name Grizzle. That puts it at #7,765 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,849 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grizzle 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Grizzle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 72,849
Census rank
#7,765
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,103 bearers of the surname Grizzle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7765th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grizzle, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grizzle
Among Census respondents with the surname Grizzle, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Grizzle 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 Grizzle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.8% · 3,479
- Black or African American8.0% · 329
- Two or more races3.4% · 138
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 106
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 31
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grizzle
Grizzle 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
#7,638
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,347
+200 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 1.47
Rank movement Down 225 places
2020
#7,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,103
-244 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Down 127 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,413 | 4,147 | 1.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,638 | 4,347 | 1.47 | +200 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 225 places |
| 2020 | #7,765 | 4,103 | 1.37 | -244 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 127 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 Grizzle 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 | #7,638 | #7,765 | -1.7% |
| Count | 4,347 | 4,103 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.47 | 1.37 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grizzle bearers went from 4,347 to 4,103 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 127 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,638 to #7,765.
FAQ
Grizzle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grizzle?
Name Census estimates that about 4,705 living Americans carry the surname Grizzle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,849 residents.
How common is Grizzle?
Grizzle ranks #7,765 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.37 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 4,103 people with the surname Grizzle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,705), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.37 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 Grizzle.
Has Grizzle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grizzle went from 4,347 recorded bearers to 4,103. That is a decrease of 244 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,638 to #7,765.
What does the Census say about the background of Grizzle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grizzle, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) 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 Grizzle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.8% (3,479 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grizzle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.8%), Black (8.0%), 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 Grizzle (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 Grizzle mean?
A surname derived from Old French meaning "grey-haired" or referring to someone with grey hair. 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 Grizzle (1.37 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 many people are called Grizzle?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Grizzle, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.