2000
#6,210
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,074
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.88
Rare Last name
Groce
Derived from the Old French word "gros," meaning "large" or "big," likely referring to a person's physical stature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,851 Americans carry the last name Groce. That puts it at #6,408 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,580 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Groce 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
5.9K
1 in 58,580
Census rank
#6,408
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,102 bearers of the surname Groce in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6408th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Groce, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.1%. The next largest groups are Black (24.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Groce
The surname GROCE is believed to have originated in England, tracing its roots back to the 12th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "groc," which referred to a small hill or a grove of trees. This suggests that the name may have initially been a topographic name, given to individuals who lived near a notable hill or wooded area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GROCE surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1195, where a person named Richard le Groce is mentioned. This entry provides evidence of the name's existence and usage during the medieval period in England.
In the 13th century, there are records of a family bearing the name GROCE residing in the county of Worcestershire. A notable figure from this family was Sir John GROCE, a knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War against France in the mid-14th century.
The GROCE surname also appears in various medieval manuscripts and records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which lists several individuals with the name, including William GROCE and Thomas GROCE.
During the 16th century, the GROCE family had established themselves as landowners in the village of Groce's Green, located in the county of Buckinghamshire. This place name is believed to have derived from the surname itself, suggesting the family's long-standing presence and influence in the area.
One prominent figure from this period was Sir Edward GROCE (1505-1572), who served as a Member of Parliament and was appointed as a judge during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, the GROCE surname continued to be well-represented in various parts of England. Notable individuals include Sir Thomas GROCE (1632-1694), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of several churches and schools in London.
Another significant figure was Reverend John GROCE (1657-1723), a clergyman who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in the city of Oxford and was renowned for his scholarly works on theology and philosophy.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the GROCE surname spread across different regions of England, with family members pursuing various professions, including law, medicine, and academia. One notable figure from this era was William GROCE (1790-1865), a renowned botanist and horticulturist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in Britain.
Throughout its history, the GROCE surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, clergy, scholars, and professionals. While the name's origins can be traced back to medieval England, its presence has spread across different parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns of families bearing this surname over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Groce
Among Census respondents with the surname Groce, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.1%. The next largest groups are Black (24.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Groce 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 Groce surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.1% · 3,421
- Black or African American24.7% · 1,259
- Two or more races4.7% · 242
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 129
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Groce
Groce 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
#6,362
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,351
+277 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 1.81
Rank movement Down 152 places
2020
#6,408
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,102
-249 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.71
Rank movement Down 46 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,210 | 5,074 | 1.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,362 | 5,351 | 1.81 | +277 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 152 places |
| 2020 | #6,408 | 5,102 | 1.71 | -249 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 46 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 Groce 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 | #6,362 | #6,408 | -0.7% |
| Count | 5,351 | 5,102 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.81 | 1.71 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Groce bearers went from 5,351 to 5,102 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 46 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,362 to #6,408.
FAQ
Groce surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Groce?
Name Census estimates that about 5,851 living Americans carry the surname Groce. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,580 residents.
How common is Groce?
Groce ranks #6,408 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.71 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,102 people with the surname Groce. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,851), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.71 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Groce.
Has Groce become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Groce went from 5,351 recorded bearers to 5,102. That is a decrease of 249 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,362 to #6,408.
What does the Census say about the background of Groce?
Among Census respondents with the surname Groce, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.1%. The next largest groups are Black (24.7%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Groce in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.1% (3,421 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Groce appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.1%), Black (24.7%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Groce (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 Groce mean?
Derived from the Old French word "gros," meaning "large" or "big," likely referring to a person's physical stature. 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 Groce (1.71 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 have the surname Groce?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.