2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gruppen
A German surname derived from a word meaning "group" or "cluster".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 147 Americans carry the last name Gruppen. That puts it at #136,082 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,331,662 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gruppen 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
147
1 in 2,331,662
Census rank
#136,082
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
128
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 128 bearers of the surname Gruppen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 136082nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gruppen, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gruppen
The surname Gruppen originated in Germany during the late medieval period, likely derived from the German word "gruppe" meaning "group" or "cluster." It is believed to have been an occupational name for someone who worked with groups of people or animals, such as a herder or a leader of a group.
The earliest recorded instances of the Gruppen surname can be traced back to the 14th century in various regions of Germany, particularly in the states of Bavaria and Saxony. One of the earliest known records is from a document dated 1367, which mentions a certain "Hans Gruppen" from the town of Nuremberg.
In the 15th century, the Gruppen name appeared in several historical records, including a manuscript from 1492 that referenced a "Jorg Gruppen" who was a merchant in the city of Hamburg. Another notable individual from this period was Matthias Gruppen, a scholar and theologian born in 1521 in the town of Wittenberg, who was a contemporary of Martin Luther and contributed to the Reformation movement.
The Gruppen surname was also associated with certain place names in Germany, such as Gruppenhagen, a village in Lower Saxony, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name in some regions.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Gruppen name continued to spread across various German territories, with several notable individuals bearing the surname. One such person was Hans Gruppen, a renowned artist and engraver born in 1564 in Nuremberg, whose works are still preserved in museums and galleries today.
Another prominent figure was Johann Gruppen, a military commander who served in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) and played a significant role in several battles. He was born in 1592 in the city of Frankfurt and died in 1670 after a distinguished career in service of the Holy Roman Empire.
As the Gruppen name spread across Europe, it also found its way into other regions and languages. In the 18th century, there are records of individuals with the surname "Gruppenbach" in Switzerland, which likely derived from the German Gruppen name and the Swiss-German word "bach" meaning "brook" or "stream."
Throughout its history, the Gruppen surname has been associated with various professions and notable individuals, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who bear this name. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, the Gruppen surname has since become a part of the rich tapestry of family names found across the globe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gruppen
Among Census respondents with the surname Gruppen, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Gruppen 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 Gruppen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.2% · 127
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gruppen
Gruppen 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+7 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,336 places
2020
#136,082
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
+17 bearers (+15.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,265 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.7%) | Down 2,336 places |
| 2020 | #136,082 | 128 | 0.04 | +17 bearers (+15.3%) | Up 12,265 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 Gruppen 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 | #148,347 | #136,082 | 8.3% |
| Count | 111 | 128 | 15.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gruppen bearers went from 111 to 128 (+15.3% change). The surname moved up 12,265 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #136,082.
FAQ
Gruppen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gruppen?
Name Census estimates that about 147 living Americans carry the surname Gruppen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,331,662 residents.
How common is Gruppen?
Gruppen ranks #136,082 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 128 people with the surname Gruppen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (147), 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 Gruppen.
Has Gruppen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gruppen went from 111 recorded bearers to 128. That is an increase of 17 (+15.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #136,082.
What does the Census say about the background of Gruppen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gruppen, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (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 Gruppen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.2% (127 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gruppen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.2%), Two or More Races (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 Gruppen (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 Gruppen mean?
A German surname derived from a word meaning "group" or "cluster". 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 Gruppen (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 people are called Gruppen?
Want to know how many people have the last name Gruppen? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.