# Greek (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/greek/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | not recorded |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 1,533 |
| US rank (2010) | 18,156 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 201,400 people |
| Change since 2000 | -5.4% (1,621 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ɡɹiːk/, 1 syllable |
| Variant spellings | Greeke |

## Etymology

Inherited from Old English Grēcas (“Greeks”), variant of Crēcas, from Proto-West Germanic *Krēkō, from Latin Graecus of uncertain origin, perhaps derived from the toponym Γραῖα (Graîa) or from other Paleo-Balkanic forms from a tribal name Graii. Greek in any case has the cognate Γραικός (Graikós), the mythological ancestor of the Γραίοι (Graíoi, “Graecians”). Germanic cognates include Dutch Griek, German Grieche. The ⟨g⟩ in English and Germanic cognates was restored under influence from French grec and classical Latin Graecus. The adjective dates to 14th-century Middle English, replacing Old English Grēċisċ (“Greekish”) and earlier Middle English Gregeis. In reference to fraternities and sororities, a clipping of earlier Greek-letter in reference to their usual names being initialisms of mottos in the Greek language.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Greek in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 88% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 6.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.1% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% |
| Two or more races | 1.7% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Greek in the United States.

## People named Greek

- Sable, American professional wrestler, model and actor

## Similar surnames

Gehrke, Gerke, Grahek, Garcia, Garza, George, Gross, Grace, Gregg, Griggs, Greco, Gracia.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.