2000
#7,490
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.52
Rare Last name
Grote
A German and Dutch occupational surname referring to a large or tall person, derived from the word "groot".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,361 Americans carry the last name Grote. That puts it at #8,338 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 78,595 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grote 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Grote with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 78,595
Census rank
#8,338
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,803 bearers of the surname Grote in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8338th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grote, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grote
The surname "Grote" is of Germanic origin, derived from the Old German word "groter" meaning "large" or "great." It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around Hanover and Westphalia, as early as the 12th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the Kingdom of Saxony, dating back to the year 1190. The name appears as "Grote" in reference to a landowner or nobleman in the region.
During the Middle Ages, the name "Grote" was often associated with members of the clergy or religious orders. One notable figure was Geert Grote (1340-1384), a Dutch Roman Catholic deacon and founder of the Brethren of the Common Life, a religious movement that emphasized spiritual renewal and education.
In the 15th century, the name "Grote" appeared in various records and manuscripts from the Hanseatic League, a powerful medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Northern Europe. This suggests that the name may have been connected to prominent merchant families in the region.
Another significant figure was Hugo Grotius (1583-1645), a Dutch jurist, philosopher, and theologian who is considered one of the founding fathers of modern international law. His seminal work, "On the Law of War and Peace," published in 1625, laid the groundwork for the principles of just war theory and the rights of nations.
In the realm of literature, the name "Grote" is associated with George Grote (1794-1871), an English classical historian and politician. His influential work, "History of Greece," published in 12 volumes between 1846 and 1856, is regarded as a landmark in the study of ancient Greek history and culture.
The surname "Grote" also has a notable presence in the field of astronomy. George Grote III (1794-1868), the son of the historian George Grote, was an amateur astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the orbits of comets.
While the surname "Grote" has its roots in Germany, it has spread to various parts of the world due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries. However, it is important to note that this report focuses solely on the historical origins and notable bearers of the surname, rather than providing modern census data or demographic information.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grote
Among Census respondents with the surname Grote, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Grote 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 Grote surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 3,556
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 112
- Two or more races2.1% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 26
- Black or African American0.4% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grote
Grote 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
#7,807
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,240
+138 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 1.44
Rank movement Down 317 places
2020
#8,338
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,803
-437 bearers (-10.3%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 531 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,490 | 4,102 | 1.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,807 | 4,240 | 1.44 | +138 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 317 places |
| 2020 | #8,338 | 3,803 | 1.27 | -437 bearers (-10.3%) | Down 531 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 Grote 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 | #7,807 | #8,338 | -6.8% |
| Count | 4,240 | 3,803 | -10.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.44 | 1.27 | -11.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grote bearers went from 4,240 to 3,803 (-10.3% change). The surname moved down 531 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,807 to #8,338.
FAQ
Grote surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grote?
Name Census estimates that about 4,361 living Americans carry the surname Grote. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 78,595 residents.
How common is Grote?
Grote ranks #8,338 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,803 people with the surname Grote. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,361), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.27 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Grote.
Has Grote become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grote went from 4,240 recorded bearers to 3,803. That is a decrease of 437 (-10.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,807 to #8,338.
What does the Census say about the background of Grote?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grote, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and 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 Grote in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (3,556 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grote appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Hispanic (2.9%), 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 Grote (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 Grote mean?
A German and Dutch occupational surname referring to a large or tall person, derived from the word "groot". 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 Grote (1.27 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 Grote?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Grote, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.