Explore the Family Name Grierson

The meaning of Grierson

Scottish (Dumfriesshire and Kirkcudbrightshire): from the medieval Scottish personal name Grier, a vernacular form of Gregor (see Gregory), + son. Compare Greer, with which some variation is evident among the early bearers, and compare Gregor and McGregor. History: A Scottish family by the name of Grierson claim descent from Gilbert, a son of Malcolm MacGregor (died 1374), 11th Lord of MacGregor. Gilbert was known as both MacGregor and Gregorson. In 1400 he was granted lands by the Earl of March in the name Grierson. The numerous northern Irish bearers of the name Greer claim descent from this same Gilbert.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Grierson in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Grierson has seen a slight increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Grierson ranked 31,817th in terms of commonality amongst surnames, while in 2010 it climbed to the 31,329th position, indicating a positive change of approximately 1.53%. The number of individuals sharing this surname also increased during this period, from 686 people in 2000 to 740 people in 2010, showing an increase of about 7.87%. However, the proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 remained consistent at 0.25.

20002010Change
Rank#31,817#31,3291.53%
Count6867407.87%
Proportion per 100k0.250.250%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Grierson

When it comes to ethnic identity associated with the surname Grierson, data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some significant changes over the decade. In 2000, the majority of individuals who shared this surname identified as White (87.76%), followed by Black (7.00%). However, by 2010 there was a notable shift with the percentage of Whites dropping slightly to 85.14% and Blacks increasing to 10.00%. This indicates a decrease of approximately 2.99% for Whites and an increase of roughly 42.86% for Blacks. Meanwhile, the Hispanic population also saw an increase of around 30.65%. No individuals with this surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either census year.

20002010Change
White87.76%85.14%-2.99%
Black7%10%42.86%
Hispanic2.48%3.24%30.65%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races2.62%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%