2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gronholm
A Swedish surname derived from a farm or place name containing the elements "gron" meaning green and "holm" meaning island.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Gronholm. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gronholm 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Gronholm in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gronholm, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gronholm
The surname Gronholm is of Swedish origin, and it first appeared in historical records during the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from a place name in the region of Västmanland, Sweden, where the name was initially concentrated.
Gronholm is a compound name derived from the Old Swedish words "grön," meaning "green," and "holm," meaning "small island" or "river meadow." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived on or near a green island or meadow in a river or lake.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gronholm can be found in the Swedish census records of 1540, where a family with this surname was listed as residing in the parish of Nora, Västmanland. The name was also mentioned in the parish records of Skara, Västergötland, in the late 16th century.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Gronholm name began to spread more widely throughout Sweden, with families bearing this surname appearing in various regions, including Stockholm, Värmland, and Örebro.
Notable individuals with the surname Gronholm include:
1. Johan Gronholm (1628-1697), a Swedish clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Växjö from 1686 until his death.
2. Anna Gronholm (1762-1841), a Swedish artist renowned for her intricate embroidery work, which can be found in several museums across Sweden.
3. Erik Gronholm (1819-1892), a Swedish politician and journalist who served as a member of the Riksdag (Swedish parliament) from 1867 to 1878.
4. Karin Gronholm (1892-1972), a Swedish author and educator known for her children's books and contributions to early childhood education.
5. Sven Gronholm (1933-2011), a Swedish businessman and philanthropist who founded the Gronholm Foundation, dedicated to supporting education and healthcare initiatives in developing countries.
While the Gronholm surname has its roots in Sweden, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, the detailed history and origins of this name can be traced back to the green islands and meadows of central Sweden in the 16th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gronholm
Among Census respondents with the surname Gronholm, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Gronholm 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 Gronholm surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gronholm
Gronholm 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+8 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,352 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,387 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.3%) | Down 1,352 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 4,387 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 Gronholm 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 | #142,108 | #146,495 | -3.1% |
| Count | 117 | 114 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gronholm bearers went from 117 to 114 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 4,387 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #146,495.
FAQ
Gronholm surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gronholm?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Gronholm. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Gronholm?
Gronholm ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Gronholm. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Gronholm.
Has Gronholm become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gronholm went from 117 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Gronholm?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gronholm, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). 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 Gronholm in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gronholm appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (3.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%). 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 Gronholm (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 Gronholm mean?
A Swedish surname derived from a farm or place name containing the elements "gron" meaning green and "holm" meaning island. 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 Gronholm (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 have the surname Gronholm?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.