Find out how popular the last name Groth is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Groth.

Groth, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Groth surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Groth in America

Groth is the 5410th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Groth surname appeared 6,434 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Groth.

We can also compare 2010 data for Groth to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Groth

The surname Groth has its origins in northern Germany, originating sometime in the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Middle Low German word "grote," meaning "great" or "large." This name likely referred to a person of large stature or one who was considered a prominent member of the community.

In the 13th century, the name Groth appeared in records from the city of Lübeck, a major trading center in the Hanseatic League. A merchant named Hinrich Groth is mentioned in these records, indicating the name's presence in this region during that time.

The earliest known recorded instance of the surname Groth dates back to the 14th century, when a farmer named Claus Groth was listed in the village records of Malchow, near the city of Schwerin in modern-day Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

In the 16th century, a notable individual named Johann Groth (1563-1637) was a Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Rostock. His writings on theology and biblical exegesis were widely read and influential during the Protestant Reformation.

Another historical figure bearing the surname Groth was Hans Groth (1493-1564), a German architect and master builder who was responsible for the construction of several churches and public buildings in the cities of Lübeck and Hamburg.

During the 17th century, a family of Groth landowners and noblemen can be traced to the region of Pomerania, now divided between modern-day Germany and Poland. One member of this family, Joachim von Groth (1619-1688), was a military officer who served in the Thirty Years' War.

In the 19th century, Klaus Groth (1819-1899) was a renowned writer and poet from Schleswig-Holstein, known for his works written in the Low German dialect. His poems and stories celebrating rural life and the beauty of the northern German landscape made him a prominent figure in the literary tradition of the region.

Over the centuries, variations in the spelling of the surname Groth have included Grothe, Grote, and Groten, reflecting the regional dialects and linguistic changes in different areas of northern Germany.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Groth

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Groth.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Groth was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Groth has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Groth was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Groth, please contact us.

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