2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Grusendorf
A surname of German origin, possibly related to a location or settlement.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Grusendorf. 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 Grusendorf 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 Grusendorf 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 Grusendorf, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grusendorf
The surname Grusendorf is of German origin and can be traced back to the late 16th century. It is derived from the German words "Gruse," meaning "gravel" or "pebble," and "dorf," meaning "village" or "hamlet." This suggests that the name likely originated from a small village or settlement located in a gravelly or pebbly area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Grusendorf can be found in the church records of the town of Halle, located in the present-day state of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. In 1598, a certain Hans Grusendorf is mentioned as a resident of the town. Additionally, the name appears in various legal documents and land registries from the 17th and 18th centuries, indicating its presence in various regions of what is now central and eastern Germany.
In the 19th century, the surname Grusendorf was particularly prevalent in the regions of Silesia (now divided between Poland and Germany) and Brandenburg. One notable individual bearing this surname was Wilhelm Grusendorf (1816-1891), a German painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and historical scenes.
Another figure of note was Karl Grusendorf (1835-1912), a German architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the development of the city of Berlin during the late 19th century. He was responsible for the design of several prominent buildings, including the Reichstaggebäude (Imperial Diet Building) and the Rotes Rathaus (Red City Hall).
In the realm of literature, the surname Grusendorf is associated with the German writer and poet Anna Grusendorf (1866-1943), whose works often focused on themes of nature and rural life. Her poetry collection, "Lieder aus dem Osten" (Songs from the East), published in 1890, received critical acclaim.
The name Grusendorf also has a connection to the military history of Germany. Heinrich Grusendorf (1879-1952) was a German general who served in both World Wars and was awarded the prestigious Pour le Mérite medal for his service during World War I.
While the surname Grusendorf is not among the most common in Germany today, its rich history and notable bearers have left an indelible mark on various aspects of German culture and society over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grusendorf
Among Census respondents with the surname Grusendorf, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Grusendorf 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 Grusendorf surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 106
- Two or more races5.1% · 6
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grusendorf
Grusendorf 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+15 bearers (+12.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,067 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-14 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,464 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+12.8%) | Up 4,067 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 14,464 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 Grusendorf 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 | #129,047 | #143,511 | -11.2% |
| Count | 132 | 118 | -10.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grusendorf bearers went from 132 to 118 (-10.6% change). The surname moved down 14,464 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #143,511.
FAQ
Grusendorf surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grusendorf?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Grusendorf. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Grusendorf?
Grusendorf 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 Grusendorf. 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 Grusendorf.
Has Grusendorf become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grusendorf went from 132 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 14 (-10.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Grusendorf?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grusendorf, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Grusendorf in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grusendorf appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Two or More Races (5.1%), Black (1.7%). 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 Grusendorf (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 Grusendorf mean?
A surname of German origin, possibly related to a location or settlement. 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 Grusendorf (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 common is the surname Grusendorf?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Grusendorf? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.