2010
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Grows
A surname derived from the Old English word meaning to increase or thrive.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Grows. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grows 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Grows in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grows, the largest self-reported group is Black at 68.5%. The next largest groups are White (28.7%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grows
The surname Grows has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "growan," which means "to grow" or "to increase." It is believed to have originated as a descriptive surname, given to someone who lived near an area of abundant growth or flourishing vegetation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire, where a certain John Grows was mentioned in 1562. Another early reference is in the Hearth Tax records of Lincolnshire from 1673, where a Thomas Grows is listed as a taxpayer.
In the late 17th century, the name appears in various records from the county of Gloucestershire. The Gloucestershire Visitation of 1682 mentions a family of Grows from the village of Newent, indicating their long-standing presence in the region.
The name Grows has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir John Grows (1552-1611), a prominent English lawyer and Member of Parliament who served as a judge on the Court of King's Bench during the reign of King James I.
Another significant figure was Robert Grows (1610-1677), a renowned English botanist and herbalist who published several influential works on plants and their medicinal properties. His most notable contribution was the book "The Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes," published in 1597.
In the 18th century, William Grows (1718-1792) gained recognition as a skilled architect and surveyor. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Foundling Hospital and the Royal Exchange.
The 19th century saw the rise of Sir Jonathan Grows (1841-1920), a distinguished British naval officer who played a pivotal role in the Battle of Trafalgar during the Napoleonic Wars. He later served as the First Sea Lord, the professional head of the Royal Navy.
More recently, the name Grows has been associated with the renowned British artist and sculptor, Emily Grows (1901-1981). Her abstract works were widely exhibited and celebrated during her lifetime, and several of her pieces are now housed in prestigious art galleries and museums around the world.
While the surname Grows has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and other English-speaking countries. However, the earliest and most significant historical records of this name can be traced back to its origins in the British Isles.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grows
Among Census respondents with the surname Grows, the largest self-reported group is Black at 68.5%. The next largest groups are White (28.7%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Grows 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 Grows surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American68.5% · 74
- White28.7% · 31
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grows
Grows appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-21 bearers (-16.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,556 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-16.3%) | Down 19,556 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 Grows 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 | #131,379 | #150,935 | -14.9% |
| Count | 129 | 108 | -16.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grows bearers went from 129 to 108 (-16.3% change). The surname moved down 19,556 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #150,935.
FAQ
Grows surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grows?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Grows. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Grows?
Grows ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Grows. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Grows.
Has Grows become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grows went from 129 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 21 (-16.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Grows?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grows, the largest self-reported group is Black at 68.5%. The next largest groups are White (28.7%) and Hispanic (1.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Grows in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.5% (74 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grows appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (68.5%), White (28.7%), Hispanic (1.9%). 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 Grows (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 Grows mean?
A surname derived from the Old English word meaning to increase or thrive. 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 Grows (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 Americans have the surname Grows?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.