2010
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gruenes
A surname derived from the German word "grün" meaning green or verdant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Gruenes. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gruenes 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Gruenes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gruenes, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gruenes
The surname GRUENES is believed to have originated in Germany, with its roots tracing back to the late medieval period. The name likely derives from the old German word "grün," meaning "green," suggesting a connection to an area or occupation associated with greenery or forestry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GRUENES surname can be found in the Bavaria region of Germany, where it appeared in historical documents from the 14th century. This region was home to several prominent families bearing the name, such as the Gruenes of Nuremberg, who were influential merchants and landowners.
In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname GRUENES was Johannes Gruenes (1506-1570), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He worked closely with Martin Luther and was a renowned scholar and author of his time.
Another historical figure of note was Hans Gruenes (1652-1718), a German architect and builder who was responsible for designing and constructing several notable landmarks in the city of Dresden, including the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) and the Zwinger Palace.
Moving into the 18th century, the GRUENES surname gained prominence in the field of music with the composer and organist Johann Friedrich Gruenes (1737-1805). Born in Saxony, he was a prolific composer of sacred and instrumental works and served as the court organist in Dresden.
In the 19th century, the name GRUENES was associated with the German botanist and explorer Karl Gruenes (1819-1888). He undertook several expeditions to South America and made significant contributions to the study of plant life in the Amazon region, with several species bearing his name in recognition of his discoveries.
Throughout its history, the GRUENES surname has also been linked to various place names and locations within Germany, such as Grünau, Grünberg, and Grünstadt, which may have influenced the development of the name or served as a reference point for certain family branches.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gruenes
Among Census respondents with the surname Gruenes, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Gruenes 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 Gruenes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.7% · 117
- Two or more races3.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gruenes
Gruenes 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
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,005 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 3,005 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 Gruenes 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 | #138,304 | #141,309 | -2.2% |
| Count | 121 | 121 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gruenes bearers went from 121 to 121 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 3,005 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #141,309.
FAQ
Gruenes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gruenes?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Gruenes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Gruenes?
Gruenes ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Gruenes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Gruenes.
Has Gruenes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gruenes went from 121 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Gruenes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gruenes, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Gruenes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.7% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gruenes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.7%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Gruenes (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 Gruenes mean?
A surname derived from the German word "grün" meaning green or verdant. 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 Gruenes (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 common is the surname Gruenes?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Gruenes at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.