2000
#111,119
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 147
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Grommet
A surname referring to a maritime worker or sailor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Grommet. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grommet 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Grommet in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grommet, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grommet
The surname GROMMET is of English origin, with its roots dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Old English word "grommet," which referred to a young man or servant. The name was likely given as a nickname to young servants or apprentices working in various trades or households.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname GROMMET can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, where a certain John Grommet was listed in 1573. This suggests that the surname was already established in the East Anglian region of England by the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the GROMMET surname appears in various historical records, such as the Protestation Returns of 1641-1642, which documented individuals who swore allegiance to the Protestant faith. One notable entry lists a Thomas Grommet from the county of Wiltshire.
As the name spread across England, variations in spelling emerged, including Grommett, Grommit, and Grommatt. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during that time.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname GROMMET was William Grommet, a farmer from the village of Chiddingstone in Kent. He was born around 1620 and is mentioned in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Chiddingstone.
In the 18th century, the GROMMET surname became more widespread, with records indicating families bearing the name in counties such as Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, and Oxfordshire. One notable individual from this period was John Grommet (1735-1812), a prominent merchant from Bristol who was involved in the city's thriving trade with the West Indies.
During the 19th century, the GROMMET surname continued to be found across various parts of England. One notable figure was Charles Grommet (1824-1897), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Manchester who made significant contributions to the city's educational and cultural institutions.
As the centuries passed, the GROMMET surname also spread to other parts of the world, particularly through British emigration. In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was James Grommet, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 from England.
Other notable individuals with the surname GROMMET include Sir William Grommet (1878-1964), a British politician and Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party, and Elizabeth Grommet (1902-1988), a renowned English novelist and playwright whose works explored social issues of her time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grommet
Among Census respondents with the surname Grommet, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Grommet 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 Grommet surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 111
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grommet
Grommet 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
#125,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
-10 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 14,163 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-25 bearers (-18.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,672 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #111,119 | 147 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #125,282 | 137 | 0.05 | -10 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 14,163 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -25 bearers (-18.2%) | Down 22,672 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 Grommet 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 | #125,282 | #147,954 | -18.1% |
| Count | 137 | 112 | -18.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -25.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grommet bearers went from 137 to 112 (-18.2% change). The surname moved down 22,672 positions in the national ranking, going from #125,282 to #147,954.
FAQ
Grommet surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grommet?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Grommet. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Grommet?
Grommet ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 112 people with the surname Grommet. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Grommet.
Has Grommet become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grommet went from 137 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 25 (-18.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #125,282 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Grommet?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grommet, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Grommet in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grommet appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Grommet (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 Grommet mean?
A surname referring to a maritime worker or sailor. 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 Grommet (0.04 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 Grommet?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Grommet on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.