2000
#7,886
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,895
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.44
Rare Last name
Gribble
An English occupational surname referring to a dealer or seller of gravel or rubble.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,143 Americans carry the last name Gribble. That puts it at #8,711 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 82,731 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gribble 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Gribble with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.1K
1 in 82,731
Census rank
#8,711
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,613 bearers of the surname Gribble in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8711th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gribble, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gribble
The surname Gribble is believed to have originated in England and dates back to the early medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "grib" or "gryb," meaning a small ditch or trench, and "hyll," meaning a hill. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a small ditch or trench on a hill.
The name can be found in various historical records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Gribehille." This early spelling reinforces the connection to the Old English words and provides evidence of the name's long-standing presence in England.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is that of Roger Gribill, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195. Another early bearer of the name was William Gribyll, who was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273.
In the 14th century, the name took on variations such as Gribyll, Grybbyll, and Gribble. During this time, the surname was found in various regions of England, including Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Somerset.
One notable figure with the surname Gribble was Sir Henry Gribble (1545-1609), an English politician and landowner from Somerset. He served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset in the late 16th century.
Another significant bearer of the name was Robert Gribble (1684-1733), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Rector of Combe Florey in Somerset. He was known for his writings on religious and philosophical topics.
In the 18th century, the name Gribble gained prominence through the work of Samuel Gribble (1717-1803), an English poet and playwright. He was born in Cornwall and is best known for his satirical plays and poems.
The 19th century saw the emergence of another notable figure, Joseph Gribble (1823-1893), an English-born Australian politician and journalist. He played a significant role in the early political and cultural life of South Australia.
One of the most recent historical figures with the surname Gribble was Leonard Gribble (1873-1952), an English architect and author. He was known for his work in the Arts and Crafts movement and his writings on architectural history and design.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gribble
Among Census respondents with the surname Gribble, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Gribble 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 Gribble surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.5% · 3,232
- Two or more races3.9% · 141
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 116
- Black or African American2.6% · 93
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gribble
Gribble 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
#8,611
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,819
-76 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Down 725 places
2020
#8,711
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,613
-206 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 100 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,886 | 3,895 | 1.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,611 | 3,819 | 1.29 | -76 bearers (-2.0%) | Down 725 places |
| 2020 | #8,711 | 3,613 | 1.21 | -206 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 100 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 Gribble 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 | #8,611 | #8,711 | -1.2% |
| Count | 3,819 | 3,613 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.29 | 1.21 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gribble bearers went from 3,819 to 3,613 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 100 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,611 to #8,711.
FAQ
Gribble surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gribble?
Name Census estimates that about 4,143 living Americans carry the surname Gribble. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 82,731 residents.
How common is Gribble?
Gribble ranks #8,711 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.21 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,613 people with the surname Gribble. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,143), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.21 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Gribble.
Has Gribble become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gribble went from 3,819 recorded bearers to 3,613. That is a decrease of 206 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,611 to #8,711.
What does the Census say about the background of Gribble?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gribble, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Gribble in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.5% (3,232 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gribble appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.5%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Gribble (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 Gribble mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a dealer or seller of gravel or rubble. 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 Gribble (1.21 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 Gribble?
See how common the surname Gribble is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.