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

Groff, 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 Groff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Groff in America

Groff is the 3599th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Groff surname appeared 9,889 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Groff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Groff 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 Groff

The surname Groff is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Bavaria, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "grube," which means "pit" or "quarry," suggesting that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a pit or quarry, or someone who worked in a quarry.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Groff surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the Kingdom of Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. The name is mentioned in reference to a person named Conradus Groff, who was a landowner in the village of Zwickau.

In the 15th century, the Groff surname appeared in the Nuremberg Chronicles, a famous illustrated chronicle of the world's history, published in 1493. It mentions a notable figure named Hans Groff, who was a respected merchant and civic leader in the city of Nuremberg.

During the 16th century, the Groff surname gained prominence in the region of Franconia, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire. One notable individual from this period was Johannes Groff, a Lutheran theologian and reformer who lived from 1500 to 1564. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in Germany.

In the 17th century, the Groff surname spread to other parts of Europe, including Switzerland and the Netherlands. One notable figure from this era was Pieter Groff, a Dutch painter who was born in Amsterdam in 1625 and is known for his still-life paintings.

Moving into the 18th century, the Groff surname can be found in various historical records across Germany and neighboring regions. One prominent individual was Johann Groff, a German philosopher and writer who lived from 1701 to 1782. He was known for his contributions to the Enlightenment movement and his works on ethics and aesthetics.

Throughout history, the Groff surname has been associated with various place names and locations, such as Groffenau, a town in Bavaria, and Groffenwil, a municipality in the canton of Solothurn, Switzerland. These place names likely derived from the surname itself or were influenced by it.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Groff

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

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

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

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