2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Grosskurth
A German surname derived from grosse ("large") and kurth ("estate" or "farm").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Grosskurth. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grosskurth 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Grosskurth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grosskurth, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grosskurth
The surname Grosskurth has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony-Anhalt, with the prefix "gross" meaning "large" or "great" and "kurth" potentially derived from the German word "kurz," meaning "short."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of the town of Dessau, Saxony-Anhalt, where a certain Johann Grosskurth was mentioned in 1587. The name's spelling has remained relatively consistent throughout history, with minor variations such as "Großkurth" or "Grosskurt."
In the 17th century, the Grosskurth family played a prominent role in the religious and academic spheres. Notable figures include Johann Georg Grosskurth (1637-1712), a Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Wittenberg, and his son, Johann Philipp Grosskurth (1673-1744), who followed in his father's footsteps as a respected theologian and academic.
During the 18th century, the name gained prominence in the military world. Carl Friedrich von Grosskurth (1724-1798) was a Prussian general who served under Frederick the Great during the Seven Years' War. He is recognized for his bravery and strategic prowess on the battlefield.
In the 19th century, the Grosskurth family made significant contributions to the arts and sciences. August Grosskurth (1805-1888) was a renowned German painter known for his landscapes and portraits, while Friedrich Grosskurth (1829-1900) was a prominent physician and researcher in the field of obstetrics and gynecology.
Another notable figure from this period was Wilhelm Grosskurth (1843-1917), a German historian and writer who authored several works on the history of Prussia and the Reformation.
As the Grosskurth name spread across Germany and beyond, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including academics, artists, military personnel, and professionals in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grosskurth
Among Census respondents with the surname Grosskurth, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Grosskurth 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 Grosskurth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 104
- Two or more races5.2% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grosskurth
Grosskurth 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+5 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,299 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-5 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,529 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 4,299 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 6,529 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 Grosskurth 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 | #139,228 | #145,757 | -4.7% |
| Count | 120 | 115 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grosskurth bearers went from 120 to 115 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 6,529 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #145,757.
FAQ
Grosskurth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grosskurth?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Grosskurth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Grosskurth?
Grosskurth ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Grosskurth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Grosskurth.
Has Grosskurth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grosskurth went from 120 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Grosskurth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grosskurth, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%). 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 Grosskurth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grosskurth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Two or More Races (5.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%). 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 Grosskurth (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 Grosskurth mean?
A German surname derived from grosse ("large") and kurth ("estate" or "farm"). 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 Grosskurth (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 Grosskurth?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.