2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Grunseth
A surname originating from Norwegian, potentially meaning "green clearing" or "green pasture."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Grunseth. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grunseth 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Grunseth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grunseth, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grunseth
The surname GRUNSETH is of Norwegian origin, emerging in the late 15th century from the region of Vestlandet on the western coast of Norway. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse words "grön" meaning "green" and "setr" meaning "mountain pasture," suggesting that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in or near a green, grassy pasture in the mountains.
One of the earliest known records of the GRUNSETH name appears in a 1497 land registry document from the village of Suldal, where a farmer named Torstein Grunseth is listed as owning a parcel of land. This document provides valuable insight into the name's origins and early usage in the region.
In the 16th century, the name GRUNSETH began to spread to other parts of Norway, with records showing individuals bearing the name in cities like Bergen and Trondheim. During this time, variations in spelling also emerged, with some records showing the name as "Grönsetr," "Grünseth," or "Grünsett."
A notable figure in Norwegian history with the GRUNSETH name was Hans Grunseth (1615-1688), a merchant and shipowner from Bergen who played a significant role in the city's maritime trade during the 17th century. His success in business allowed his family to establish a prominent position in the local community.
Another individual of note was Ingrid Grunseth (1793-1872), a respected educator and advocate for women's rights in Norway. She founded one of the country's first schools for girls in the town of Stavanger and was instrumental in promoting educational opportunities for women during a time when such pursuits were often discouraged.
In the 19th century, the GRUNSETH name began to appear in historical records outside of Norway, as some individuals with this surname emigrated to other parts of Europe and North America. One such individual was Ole Grunseth (1820-1901), a Norwegian-born farmer who settled in Wisconsin, United States, in the 1850s and became one of the early pioneers in the state's agricultural development.
While the GRUNSETH name has its roots in Norway, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with individuals bearing this surname making contributions in various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grunseth
Among Census respondents with the surname Grunseth, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Grunseth 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 Grunseth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.6% · 114
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grunseth
Grunseth appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+11 bearers (+10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,043 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+5 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,690 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.8%) | Up 2,043 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.4%) | Up 2,690 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 Grunseth 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 | #146,201 | #143,511 | 1.8% |
| Count | 113 | 118 | 4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grunseth bearers went from 113 to 118 (+4.4% change). The surname moved up 2,690 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #143,511.
FAQ
Grunseth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grunseth?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Grunseth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Grunseth?
Grunseth ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Grunseth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Grunseth.
Has Grunseth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grunseth went from 113 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 5 (+4.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Grunseth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grunseth, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Grunseth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.6% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grunseth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.6%), Two or More Races (2.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Grunseth (2000, 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 Grunseth mean?
A surname originating from Norwegian, potentially meaning "green clearing" or "green pasture." 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 Grunseth (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 Grunseth?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.