Explore the Family Name Greek
The meaning of Greek
1. Americanized form of German Krieg and perhaps also of Dutch Kriek (see Creek). 2. English (Devon): ethnic name for someone from Greece, Middle English grek, greik. There seems also to have been some confusion with Gregg and its variants. In North America, the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates from other languages, e.g. Italian Greco.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Greek in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Greek has seen a decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 16,360th in terms of frequency, but by 2010, it had dropped to the 18,156th position, representing a change of nearly -11%. The count of individuals with this surname also decreased from 1,621 in 2000 to 1,533 in 2010, a drop of approximately -5.43%. Consequently, the proportion per 100k population shrank by -13.33% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #16,360 | #18,156 | -10.98% |
| Count | 1,621 | 1,533 | -5.43% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.6 | 0.52 | -13.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Greek
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Greek saw some shifts as well, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of Whites with this surname increased from 85.63% in 2000 to 87.93% in 2010. There was also an increase in the proportion of Hispanics, from 1.97% to 3.13% during the same period. However, the number of Black individuals with this surname decreased significantly, from 10.61% in 2000 to just 6.20% in 2010. Notably, there were no recorded instances of Asian/Pacific Islanders or American Indians/Alaskan Natives having the Greek surname in 2000, but small percentages (0.65% and 0.39%, respectively) emerged by 2010. Similarly, those identifying as two or more races increased slightly from 1.60% to 1.70%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 85.63% | 87.93% | 2.69% |
| Black | 10.61% | 6.2% | -41.56% |
| Hispanic | 1.97% | 3.13% | 58.88% |
| Two or More Races | 1.6% | 1.7% | 6.25% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.65% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.39% | 0% |