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

Groat, 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 Groat surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Groat in America

Groat is the 14794th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Groat surname appeared 2,006 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 Groat.

We can also compare 2010 data for Groat 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 Groat

The surname GROAT is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "groat," which referred to a medieval coin worth four pence. This connection suggests that the name may have been an occupational name for someone who worked as a moneylender or banker.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the GROAT name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where a Walter le Grot was listed as residing in Oxfordshire. Another early record comes from the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, which mentioned a John Groat.

The GROAT surname is also linked to the village of John o' Groat's in Caithness, Scotland. According to legend, a Dutchman named John Groat settled in the area in the late 16th century and built an octagonal house to accommodate his family and prevent arguments over the head of the table. This story, while unverified, has contributed to the fame of the GROAT name in that region.

Notable individuals with the GROAT surname include Sir Thomas Gresham (1519-1579), an English merchant and financier who founded the Royal Exchange in London. Another prominent figure was John Grosvenor (1565-1645), an English lawyer and politician who served as the Recorder of Chester.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded GROAT families can be traced back to Nicholas Groat, who immigrated from England to New Amsterdam (present-day New York) in the 17th century. His descendants played a role in the American Revolutionary War, with several serving in the Continental Army.

Other notable GROAT individuals include Sir John Gresham Groat (1819-1896), a British diplomat and author, and James Groat (1839-1917), an American politician who served as the Mayor of Buffalo, New York, in the late 19th century.

Throughout history, variations in the spelling of the GROAT surname have included Grote, Groate, Grot, and Grott, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic influences of different areas where the name was present.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Groat

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

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

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

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