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

Gruver, 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 Gruver surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gruver in America

Gruver is the 10237th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gruver surname appeared 3,148 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 Gruver.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gruver 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 Gruver

The surname Gruver is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the German word "grube," meaning "pit" or "quarry," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have been associated with mining or quarrying activities.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, variations of the name, such as Gruber and Grüber, appeared in various German records and manuscripts. One notable mention is found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of the town of Heidenheim, where a Johannes Gruber was recorded in 1589.

The earliest recorded example of the Gruver spelling can be traced back to the late 17th century, when a family of that name settled in the Palatinate region of Germany. This region experienced significant religious persecution during that time, leading many families, including the Gruvers, to seek refuge in other parts of Europe and eventually in North America.

One of the earliest known Gruvers to arrive in America was Johann Georg Gruver, who was born in 1677 in the town of Steinbach, Palatinate. He immigrated to Pennsylvania in the early 18th century and settled in the Germantown area of Philadelphia.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Gruver surname. One of the most prominent was Jacob Gruver (1728-1808), a German-American farmer and revolutionary soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He was born in Pennsylvania and served in the Pennsylvania Militia during the war.

Another notable Gruver was John Gruver (1768-1857), an early American settler and pioneer who helped establish the town of Groveport, Ohio. He was born in Pennsylvania and later moved to Ohio, where he became a prominent landowner and community leader.

In the 19th century, the Gruver family continued to spread across the United States, with several members achieving notable accomplishments. One such individual was Daniel Gruver (1820-1892), a prominent businessman and banker from Ohio who played a significant role in the development of the state's financial institutions.

Additionally, the Gruver name has been associated with various place names, particularly in Pennsylvania and Ohio, where many Gruver families settled. Examples include Gruver's Mill, a historic site in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and Gruver's Landing, a former community in Tuscarawas County, Ohio.

Throughout its history, the surname Gruver has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, from farmers and soldiers to businessmen and community leaders. While its origins can be traced back to Germany and the mining or quarrying industry, the name has since become embedded in the cultural fabric of various regions across the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gruver

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

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

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

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