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

Grothe, 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 Grothe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Grothe in America

Grothe is the 16087th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Grothe surname appeared 1,800 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Grothe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Grothe 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 Grothe

The surname Grothe has its origins in the northern regions of Germany, with roots dating back to the early Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "grod," meaning "to grow" or "to thrive," suggesting a connection to agriculture or thriving communities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Grothe can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. In these records, the name appeared as "Grothio" or "Grothe," indicating its longstanding presence in the area.

During the 13th century, the surname Grothe was associated with several notable figures. Heinrich Grothe, a prominent merchant and landowner, was documented in the records of the city of Lübeck in 1245. Additionally, a record from the town of Rostock mentions a certain Gerhard Grothe, a respected craftsman, in 1278.

As the name spread across northern Germany, it also found its way into other regions. In the 15th century, a family of the name Grothe settled in the town of Stralsund, where they established themselves as respected citizens. One of their descendants, Johannes Grothe (1472-1534), became a renowned scholar and theologian, contributing significantly to the intellectual discourse of his time.

In the 16th century, the surname Grothe gained further prominence with the rise of the Grothe family in the city of Hamburg. This family produced several notable merchants and traders, including Hans Grothe (1525-1592), who established successful trading routes across the Baltic Sea region.

Another notable figure bearing the surname Grothe was Wilhelm Grothe (1678-1742), a respected jurist and legal scholar from the city of Lübeck. His treatises on maritime law and international trade made significant contributions to the development of legal frameworks during the 18th century.

Over the centuries, the surname Grothe has been associated with various locations across northern Germany, including towns and villages such as Grothausen, Grothenbach, and Grothenort, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name in different regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Grothe

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

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 Grothe 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 Grothe 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 Grothe was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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