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

Gruner, 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 Gruner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gruner in America

Gruner is the 22183rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gruner surname appeared 1,164 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 Gruner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gruner 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 Gruner

The surname GRUNER originated in Germany and dates back to at least the 12th century. It is derived from the German word "grün" meaning "green" and was likely an occupational name for someone who worked with green dyes or pigments, or possibly a descriptive name for someone who lived near a green meadow or forest.

In some early records, the name appears as GRUENER or GRUNER, with the latter spelling becoming more common over time. One of the earliest known references is in a document from the town of Quedlinburg in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, dated 1189, which mentions a person named Johannes Gruner.

In the 13th century, the name GRUNER can be found in various German regions, such as Bavaria and Franconia. For instance, a certain Heinrich Gruner is recorded in the city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in 1247.

The surname GRUNER is also associated with the town of Grünau, now part of Berlin, Germany. This place name, meaning "green meadow," may have contributed to the adoption of the surname by some families in the area.

Notable individuals with the surname GRUNER include Hans Gruner (c.1520-1589), a German theologian and Protestant reformer; Johann Friedrich Gruner (1723-1778), a German engraver and art historian; Willy Gruner (1849-1903), a German architect and urban planner; and Max Gruner (1854-1939), a German-American artist and illustrator.

In the 16th century, the GRUNER family established itself in the town of Bayreuth, Bavaria, where they were prominent citizens and landowners. One member, Christoph Gruner (1525-1591), served as a magistrate and council member.

Over the centuries, the GRUNER surname has spread throughout German-speaking regions and beyond, as families migrated to other parts of Europe, the Americas, and other continents. Despite its widespread distribution, the name retains its German origins and association with the color green and nature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gruner

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

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

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

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