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

Gruhn, 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 Gruhn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gruhn in America

Gruhn is the 32079th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gruhn surname appeared 719 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gruhn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gruhn 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 Gruhn

The surname GRUHN originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Old High German word "grün," meaning "green," suggesting a possible connection to a person's occupation or place of residence surrounded by lush greenery.

Records indicate that the GRUHN family initially settled in the regions of Saxony and Thuringia, where the surname was commonly found in various historical documents and church records. One notable early reference is found in the "Erbregister" (hereditary register) of the town of Mühlhausen in Thuringia, which mentions a "Hans Gruhn" in the year 1564.

In the 17th century, the GRUHN surname appeared in the "Kirchenbücher" (church books) of several German cities, including Leipzig and Dresden. During this period, variations in spelling, such as "Grün," "Gruene," and "Gruehn," were also encountered.

Among the earliest recorded bearers of the GRUHN name was Johann Christoph Gruhn (1647-1722), a respected theologian and pastor in the town of Gera, Thuringia. Another notable figure was Friedrich Wilhelm Gruhn (1776-1852), a German businessman and philanthropist who founded a successful textile manufacturing company in Chemnitz, Saxony.

In the 19th century, the GRUHN surname spread further across Germany and beyond. Johannes Gruhn (1821-1895), a German-American immigrant, established himself as a successful farmer and landowner in Wisconsin, USA. His son, Gustav Gruhn (1854-1928), became a prominent lawyer and politician, serving as a judge and member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Another individual of note was Carl Gruhn (1865-1939), a renowned luthier and violin maker from Saxony, whose instruments were highly sought after by professional musicians worldwide. His violins and cellos are still considered among the finest examples of German craftsmanship from that era.

As the GRUHN family spread across Europe and eventually to other parts of the world, the surname continued to carry its German roots and associations with the color green, nature, and the traditional occupations and lifestyles of its early bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gruhn

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

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

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

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