2000
#112,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 144
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Grosky
A surname derived from the Slavic word "grod," meaning "town" or "city."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 108 Americans carry the last name Grosky. That puts it at #156,608 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,173,651 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grosky 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
108
1 in 3,173,651
Census rank
#156,608
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
94
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 94 bearers of the surname Grosky in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156608th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grosky, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grosky
The surname "GROSKY" is believed to have originated in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, likely in modern-day Poland or Ukraine, during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Proto-Slavic word "grod," which meant a fortified settlement or a town. The prefix "gro" or "grod" in various Slavic languages also refers to something related to a town or city.
The earliest known recorded instances of the surname date back to the 15th century in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It is possible that some variations of the name, such as "Grodsky" or "Grodzki," may have appeared in local records or manuscripts from that time period, reflecting the town or region where the family originated.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Grosky was Jan Grosky, a Polish merchant and trader who lived in the city of Krakow in the late 15th century. Records show that he was involved in the lucrative salt trade between Poland and other European countries.
Another notable figure was Iwan Grosky, a Ukrainian Cossack leader who played a role in the Khmelnytsky Uprising against Polish rule in the mid-17th century. He was born around 1610 and is mentioned in various historical accounts of the time for his military exploits during the conflict.
In the 18th century, a Russian nobleman named Mikhail Grosky is recorded as having owned vast estates in the Smolensk region. He was born in 1725 and was a prominent figure in the court of Catherine the Great.
During the 19th century, a Polish composer and pianist named Władysław Grosky gained recognition for his works. He was born in 1835 in Warsaw and is known for his contributions to the development of Polish classical music.
Another individual of note was Yuri Grosky, a Ukrainian-born Russian explorer and geographer who lived from 1852 to 1920. He was involved in several expeditions to Central Asia and made significant contributions to the mapping and understanding of the region's geography.
While the surname "GROSKY" has its roots in Eastern Europe, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and the movement of populations over the centuries. However, its origins can be traced back to the Slavic regions and the meaning related to towns or fortified settlements.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grosky
Among Census respondents with the surname Grosky, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Grosky 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 Grosky surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.9% · 92
- Two or more races2.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grosky
Grosky 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-29 bearers (-20.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 31,174 places
2020
#156,608
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 94
-21 bearers (-18.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,467 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,967 | 144 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -29 bearers (-20.1%) | Down 31,174 places |
| 2020 | #156,608 | 94 | 0.03 | -21 bearers (-18.3%) | Down 12,467 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 Grosky 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 | #144,141 | #156,608 | -8.6% |
| Count | 115 | 94 | -18.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -21.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grosky bearers went from 115 to 94 (-18.3% change). The surname moved down 12,467 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #156,608.
FAQ
Grosky surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grosky?
Name Census estimates that about 108 living Americans carry the surname Grosky. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,173,651 residents.
How common is Grosky?
Grosky ranks #156,608 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 94 people with the surname Grosky. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (108), 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 Grosky.
Has Grosky become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grosky went from 115 recorded bearers to 94. That is a decrease of 21 (-18.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #156,608.
What does the Census say about the background of Grosky?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grosky, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Grosky in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.9% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grosky appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.9%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Grosky (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 Grosky mean?
A surname derived from the Slavic word "grod," meaning "town" or "city." 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 Grosky (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 common is the surname Grosky?
You can see how many people have the last name Grosky on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.