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

Grunewald, 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 Grunewald surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Grunewald in America

Grunewald is the 16525th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Grunewald surname appeared 1,738 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Grunewald.

We can also compare 2010 data for Grunewald 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 Grunewald

The surname GRUNEWALD originated in Germany, where it first emerged in the 13th century. It is a locational name, derived from the German word "Grünewald," which translates to "green forest." This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near or in a green forest area.

One of the earliest known bearers of the GRUNEWALD surname was Heinrich GRUNEWALD, a wealthy merchant who lived in the city of Nuremberg in the late 14th century. Records from this period show that he was involved in the lucrative spice trade and owned several properties in the city.

During the 15th century, the GRUNEWALD name began to appear in various historical documents across different regions of Germany. In 1487, a man named Hans GRUNEWALD was recorded as a master craftsman in the city of Cologne, specializing in the production of intricate woodcarvings.

The GRUNEWALD surname also has a connection to the world of art. Matthias GRUNEWALD, a renowned German Renaissance painter, was born around 1470 in the town of Würzburg. He is best known for his masterpiece, the Isenheim Altarpiece, which he completed in 1515 and is now housed in the Unterlinden Museum in Colmar, France.

Another notable figure bearing the GRUNEWALD name was Johann GRUNEWALD, a German philosopher and theologian who lived in the 16th century. He was a prominent figure during the Protestant Reformation and wrote several influential works on religious doctrine and theology.

In the 17th century, a man named Friedrich GRUNEWALD gained recognition as a skilled cartographer and mapmaker. He was commissioned by various noble families and governments to create detailed maps of various regions across Europe, which were instrumental in facilitating trade and exploration during that time.

As the GRUNEWALD name spread throughout Germany and other parts of Europe, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as GRÜNEWALD, GRUNWALD, and GRÜNWALD. These variations were often a result of regional dialects and spelling conventions, but they all shared the same underlying meaning and origin.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Grunewald

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

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

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

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