2000
#118,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Grotjan
A surname of German origin referring to a person from the town of Grotjan.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Grotjan. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grotjan 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Grotjan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grotjan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grotjan
The surname GROTJAN originates from Germany, specifically the northern regions near the coast. It likely emerged during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Low German word "grot," meaning "great" or "large," potentially referring to a person of significant stature or importance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GROTJAN surname can be found in the parish records of the town of Lübeck, dating back to the mid-16th century. A merchant named Hans GROTJAN is mentioned in a document from 1562, suggesting that the family may have been involved in trade or commerce during that era.
In the 17th century, the GROTJAN name appeared in various municipal records and church registers across northern Germany, particularly in the regions of Holstein and Mecklenburg. This indicates that the family had established roots in these areas and potentially held notable positions within local communities.
During the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the GROTJAN surname was Johann GROTJAN (1714-1785), a renowned scholar and linguist from the city of Hamburg. His contributions to the study of ancient languages and literature were widely recognized throughout academic circles of his time.
Another individual of historical significance was Katharina GROTJAN (1790-1862), a pioneering educator from the town of Rendsburg. She founded one of the first schools for girls in the region, challenging traditional gender norms and promoting equal educational opportunities.
In the 19th century, the GROTJAN family continued to make their mark, with Wilhelm GROTJAN (1832-1898) becoming a prominent political figure and serving as a member of the Prussian parliament. His advocacy for progressive reforms and workers' rights earned him widespread respect among his constituents.
Towards the latter part of the 19th century, the spelling variation "GROTIAN" also emerged, potentially due to regional dialect variations or scribal errors in record-keeping. However, the original "GROTJAN" spelling remained more prevalent.
As the GROTJAN family dispersed across Germany and beyond, they left their mark in various fields, from academia and politics to entrepreneurship and the arts. While the name's origins can be traced back to northern Germany, its legacy has become woven into the cultural tapestry of the region and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grotjan
Among Census respondents with the surname Grotjan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Grotjan 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 Grotjan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grotjan
Grotjan 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
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
+5 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 4,110 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-24 bearers (-17.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,964 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,954 | 135 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | +5 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 4,110 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -24 bearers (-17.1%) | Down 21,964 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 Grotjan 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 | #123,064 | #145,028 | -17.8% |
| Count | 140 | 116 | -17.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -22.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grotjan bearers went from 140 to 116 (-17.1% change). The surname moved down 21,964 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #145,028.
FAQ
Grotjan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grotjan?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Grotjan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Grotjan?
Grotjan ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Grotjan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Grotjan.
Has Grotjan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grotjan went from 140 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 24 (-17.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,064 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Grotjan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grotjan, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Grotjan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grotjan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Grotjan (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 Grotjan mean?
A surname of German origin referring to a person from the town of Grotjan. 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 Grotjan (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 are called Grotjan?
Find out how common the surname Grotjan is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.