2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Grosfield
A surname denoting someone from a large open field.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Grosfield. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grosfield 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Grosfield in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grosfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Black (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grosfield
The surname Grosfield originated in the northern regions of England, particularly in Yorkshire, during the medieval period around the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "gros," meaning thick or coarse, and "feld," meaning field or open land. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with someone who lived or worked on a coarse or rugged field.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Grosfield can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a person named Willelmus de Grosfeld is mentioned. This historical document provides evidence of the name's existence during the reign of King Henry II.
The Grosfield surname also appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholdings and population surveys conducted by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as a place name, "Grosfeld," in the county of Yorkshire, indicating the potential origin of the surname from a specific location.
During the 13th century, the surname underwent various spelling variations, such as Grossfeld, Grosfeld, and Grosfeild, as was common with many surnames during that era. One notable individual bearing the name was John de Grosfeld, who served as the Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1285.
In the 14th century, the Grosfield family gained prominence in the region of Yorkshire, with several members holding positions of authority and influence. Sir William Grosfield (1310-1380) was a renowned knight and landowner who played a significant role in the English campaigns during the Hundred Years' War against France.
Another prominent figure with the Grosfield surname was Robert Grosfield (1450-1521), a respected scholar and theologian who served as the Bishop of Lincoln from 1505 until his death. He was known for his contributions to the intellectual and religious discourse of his time.
During the Tudor period, the Grosfield family continued to maintain their presence in Yorkshire. One notable member was Sir Thomas Grosfield (1520-1588), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament who was involved in international trade and supported the exploration voyages of his era.
As the centuries progressed, the Grosfield surname spread beyond Yorkshire to other parts of England and eventually to other parts of the world, carried by families who migrated and settled in new lands. However, its roots can be traced back to the northern regions of England, where it originated as a descriptive surname reflecting the rugged and coarse fields of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grosfield
Among Census respondents with the surname Grosfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Black (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Grosfield 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 Grosfield surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 95
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grosfield
Grosfield 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+8 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,293 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-11 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 8,554 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.6%) | Down 1,293 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -11 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 8,554 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 Grosfield 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 | #146,201 | #154,755 | -5.9% |
| Count | 113 | 102 | -9.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grosfield bearers went from 113 to 102 (-9.7% change). The surname moved down 8,554 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #154,755.
FAQ
Grosfield surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grosfield?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Grosfield. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Grosfield?
Grosfield ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Grosfield. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Grosfield.
Has Grosfield become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grosfield went from 113 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Grosfield?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grosfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Black (2.0%). 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 Grosfield in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grosfield appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Black (2.0%). 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 Grosfield (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 Grosfield mean?
A surname denoting someone from a large open field. 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 Grosfield (0.03 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 last name Grosfield?
See how many people have the last name Grosfield on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.