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

Grove, 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 Grove surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Grove in America

Grove is the 1657th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Grove surname appeared 21,732 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Grove.

We can also compare 2010 data for Grove 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 Grove

The surname Grove originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the Old English word "graf," meaning a small grove or thicket of trees. The name likely originated as a descriptor for someone who lived near or worked in a small wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded uses of the surname Grove can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a landowner named Richard de la Grove in the county of Essex. This indicates that the name was already well-established in parts of England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Grove appeared in various spellings, such as Groves, Grave, and Greve, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. Many of these variations were likely influenced by the French language, which was widely used in England after the Norman Conquest.

One notable bearer of the surname was Sir Walter Grove (c. 1320-1392), a soldier and courtier who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He was knighted for his valor in the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and later became a member of the Order of the Garter.

Another significant figure was Matthew Grove (1638-1719), an English clergyman and philosopher who served as the rector of several parishes in Oxfordshire. He was known for his writings on metaphysics and his support for the Church of England during the turbulent times of the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, the Grove family established themselves as prominent landowners and industrialists in the West Midlands region of England. One member of this family, William Grove (1811-1896), was a prominent lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales from 1880 to 1892.

The surname Grove also gained recognition in the field of science and technology. Sir William Robert Grove (1811-1896), a Welsh judge and scientist, is credited with the invention of the Grove voltaic cell, an early form of battery that played a crucial role in the development of electrochemistry.

Another notable figure was Andrew Grove (1936-2016), a Hungarian-American businessman and engineer who played a pivotal role in the development of the microprocessor industry. He served as the CEO of Intel Corporation from 1987 to 1998 and was widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the technology sector.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Grove

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

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

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

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