2000
#123,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Grych
A surname of Slavic origin meaning "barley grower" or "grain farmer".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Grych. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grych 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Grych in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grych, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grych
The surname GRYCH is of Polish origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "gryka," which means "buckwheat." The name likely originated from a region in Poland where buckwheat was a prominent crop.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GRYCH surname is found in a Polish census record from the town of Kraków, dated 1589. This record lists a farmer named Jan GRYCH, who resided in the outskirts of the city. It is possible that this individual or his ancestors may have been involved in the cultivation or trade of buckwheat, leading to the adoption of the surname.
During the 17th century, the GRYCH name appears in various church records and tax registers across various regions of Poland, including Silesia and Masovia. This suggests that the name had spread and become more widespread during this period.
In the late 18th century, a notable figure bearing the GRYCH surname was Katarzyna GRYCH (1768-1832), a Polish noblewoman and landowner from the Kraków region. Her family's estate was known for its bountiful buckwheat harvests, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and the crop.
Another significant individual was Józef GRYCH (1823-1888), a Polish writer and journalist who published several works on Polish history and culture. He was born in the town of Lublin and spent much of his life advocating for Polish independence during the partitions.
In the 20th century, Tadeusz GRYCH (1901-1971) was a prominent Polish architect known for his work in the Art Deco style. He designed several notable buildings in Warsaw, including the iconic Prudential Building, which still stands today.
Another notable bearer of the GRYCH surname was Stanisław GRYCH (1932-2018), a Polish artist and sculptor whose works were exhibited in galleries across Europe. He was particularly renowned for his abstract metal sculptures and often drew inspiration from nature and organic forms.
While the GRYCH surname has its roots in Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and migration. However, it remains most commonly found in Poland and among individuals of Polish descent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grych
Among Census respondents with the surname Grych, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Grych 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 Grych surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grych
Grych 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-7 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,013 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-13 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,878 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #123,314 | 129 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 14,013 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 12,878 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 Grych 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 | #137,327 | #150,205 | -9.4% |
| Count | 122 | 109 | -10.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grych bearers went from 122 to 109 (-10.7% change). The surname moved down 12,878 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #150,205.
FAQ
Grych surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grych?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Grych. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Grych?
Grych ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Grych. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Grych.
Has Grych become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grych went from 122 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Grych?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grych, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Grych in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grych appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Grych (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 Grych mean?
A surname of Slavic origin meaning "barley grower" or "grain farmer". 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 Grych (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 Grych?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Grych, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.