Explore the Family Name Grigsby

The meaning of Grigsby

1. English (Kent): habitational name from a lost or unidentified place called Gregby, apparently in Lincolnshire. Although it is not certain that the surname in Kent is connected with the early bearers in Lincolnshire and Norfolk, it seems plausible. A habitational name with the Scandinavian generic -by (Old Danish bȳ ‘settlement, village’), while typical of the Danelaw, is an impossible coinage in southeastern England. 2. English: perhaps a variant of Grebby from a place so called in Scremby (Lincolnshire).

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Grigsby has slightly dipped in the United States over the past decade. In 2000, it was ranked as the 3,017th most common surname, but by 2010 it had fallen to 3,141st, a decrease of about 4.11 percent. However, the actual count of people with this surname rose from 11,017 in 2000 to 11,501 in 2010, an increase of approximately 4.39 percent. The proportion of people named Grigsby per 100,000 also decreased slightly, from 4.08 in 2000 to 3.9 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#3,017#3,141-4.11%
Count11,01711,5014.39%
Proportion per 100k4.083.9-4.41%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Grigsby

When examining the ethnicity associated with the Grigsby surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some notable shifts between 2000 and 2010. While the majority of people with this surname identified as White (70.96% in 2000 and 68.48% in 2010), there were increases in every other ethnic category. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander nearly doubled, going from 0.35% to 0.61%. There was also growth among those identifying with two or more races, which increased from 2.13% to 2.76%. Meanwhile, the Hispanic population rose from 1.72% to 2.46%, and those identifying as Black went from 23.70% to 24.28%. Lastly, the percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Natives also saw an uptick, moving from 1.13% to 1.41%.

20002010Change
White70.96%68.48%-3.49%
Black23.7%24.28%2.45%
Two or More Races2.13%2.76%29.58%
Hispanic1.72%2.46%43.02%
American Indian and Alaskan Native1.13%1.41%24.78%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.35%0.61%74.29%

Grigsby ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Grigsby is British & Irish, which comprises 54.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.4%) and Nigerian (4.2%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Eastern European, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish54.9%
French & German21.4%
Nigerian4.2%
Other19.5%
Grigsby

Possible origins of the surname Grigsby

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Grigsby have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Merseyside, United Kingdom84.40%
Greater London, United Kingdom84.40%
West Midlands, United Kingdom84.00%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom84.00%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom84.00%

What Grigsby haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Grigsby is R-M467, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-M467 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and E-L485, which are predominantly found among people with European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hathaway, Poston, Deming, Herndon, Doolittle, Lilly, Tatum, Bissell, Pinson, Chaffee.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Grigsby surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

grigsbyPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI

The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Grigsby have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Grigsby

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Grigsby" Surname 48.2%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Grigsby

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Grigsby" Surname 33.8%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Grigsby

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Grigsby" Surname 25.0%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Grigsby

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Grigsby" Surname 23.8%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Grigsby?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Grigsby are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%