2000
#7,817
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,924
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.45
Rare Last name
Groh
A German topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a grove or small wooded area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,203 Americans carry the last name Groh. That puts it at #8,605 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 81,550 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Groh 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
4.2K
1 in 81,550
Census rank
#8,605
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,665 bearers of the surname Groh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8605th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Groh, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Groh
The surname GROH is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "gro" or "grob," which means "coarse" or "rough." This name likely originated during the medieval period as a descriptive nickname for someone with a coarse or rough appearance or personality.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname GROH can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany. One of the earliest records is found in the town of Grob, located in the present-day state of Bavaria, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name.
In the 15th century, the surname GROH appeared in several historical documents, including the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of official documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname were present in this region during that time.
One notable bearer of the GROH surname was Johannes Groh, a German theologian and reformer born in 1565 in Nuremberg. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and wrote several influential theological works.
Another historical figure with the GROH surname was Johann Georg Groh (1717-1780), a renowned German botanist and professor at the University of Wittenberg. He made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and published numerous works on botanical subjects.
In the 19th century, the GROH surname gained prominence with the birth of Joseph Groh (1819-1887), a German-American businessman and philanthropist. He immigrated to the United States and established a successful brewing company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Another notable individual with this surname was Karl Groh (1892-1984), a German military officer who served in both World Wars. He received several decorations for his service, including the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
The surname GROH has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany, such as Grohfeld, Grohrau, and Grohenried, further reinforcing its connection to the country's linguistic and geographical roots.
While the surname GROH has its origins in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration patterns, with bearers of this name found in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Groh
Among Census respondents with the surname Groh, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Groh 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 Groh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 3,388
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 113
- Two or more races2.8% · 102
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 41
- Black or African American0.4% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Groh
Groh 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
#8,475
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,894
-30 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.32
Rank movement Down 658 places
2020
#8,605
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,665
-229 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 1.23
Rank movement Down 130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,817 | 3,924 | 1.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,475 | 3,894 | 1.32 | -30 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 658 places |
| 2020 | #8,605 | 3,665 | 1.23 | -229 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 130 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 Groh 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 | #8,475 | #8,605 | -1.5% |
| Count | 3,894 | 3,665 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.32 | 1.23 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Groh bearers went from 3,894 to 3,665 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 130 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,475 to #8,605.
FAQ
Groh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Groh?
Name Census estimates that about 4,203 living Americans carry the surname Groh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 81,550 residents.
How common is Groh?
Groh ranks #8,605 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.23 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 3,665 people with the surname Groh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,203), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.23 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 Groh.
Has Groh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Groh went from 3,894 recorded bearers to 3,665. That is a decrease of 229 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,475 to #8,605.
What does the Census say about the background of Groh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Groh, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Groh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (3,388 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Groh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Groh (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 Groh mean?
A German topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a grove or small wooded area. 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 Groh (1.23 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 Americans have the surname Groh?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.