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

Groves, 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 Groves surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Groves in America

Groves is the 1447th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Groves surname appeared 24,629 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Groves.

We can also compare 2010 data for Groves 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 Groves

The surname Groves is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "graf," which means a small wooded area or a thicket. It is believed to have originated as a habitational name, referring to someone who lived near or in a grove of trees.

The name can be traced back to the 13th century, with one of the earliest recorded instances being Richard del Groves, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275. The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, also contains references to various places with names derived from the word "graf," such as Grava and Gravenhungreton.

In the Middle Ages, the surname Groves was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Herefordshire, where many small woodlands and groves existed. It is likely that the name originated in these regions and spread from there.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir John Groves, born around 1320 in Gloucestershire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a Member of Parliament for the county in the late 14th century.

Another notable figure was William Groves, born in 1510 in Worcestershire. He was a prominent merchant and served as the Sheriff of Worcester in 1558.

In the 17th century, the name Groves appeared in various records, such as the Parish Registers of Herefordshire, where the spelling variations "Grove" and "Groves" were used interchangeably.

During the English Civil War (1642-1651), Captain Samuel Groves, born in 1615 in Gloucestershire, fought on the Parliamentarian side and was known for his bravery in battle.

In the 18th century, the name Groves was associated with several notable figures, including the philosopher and writer Abraham Groves (1688-1756), who was born in Gloucestershire and wrote extensively on religious and philosophical topics.

One of the most famous bearers of the name was Sir William Robert Groves (1816-1893), a renowned British surgeon and pioneer in the field of anesthesia. He was born in Norfolk and made significant contributions to medical science through his research and writings.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Groves

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

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

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

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