Graesen
A Scandinavian name derived from the Old Norse word "gras," meaning "grass" or "field."
Name Census estimates that about 15 living Americans carry the first name Graesen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Graesen today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Graesen births was 2010 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Graesen. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Graesen. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
15
~ 1 in 22,850,289 Americans
Peak year
2010
5 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2021 SSA rank
#12,770
Tracked since 2010
Popularity
Graesen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Graesen from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 10 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Graesen remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Graesen by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Graesen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Graesen
The given name Graesen is believed to have originated from the Old Norse language, which was spoken by the Germanic peoples inhabiting Scandinavia and parts of Northern Europe during the Viking Age (8th to 11th centuries AD). The name is thought to derive from the Old Norse word "grás," meaning "grass" or "green vegetation."
In ancient Norse mythology, the natural world played a significant role, and names often reflected the reverence for nature and its elements. The name Graesen may have been associated with fertility, growth, and the cycle of life, as grass was a symbol of renewal and abundance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Graesen can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, which are a collection of narratives written in the 13th and 14th centuries. These sagas documented the lives and adventures of Norse settlers in Iceland and often included characters with names reflecting their cultural heritage.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Graesen. One such figure was Graesen Thorvaldsson (c. 980 - 1035), a Norse explorer and navigator who is believed to have been among the first Europeans to set foot in North America, predating Christopher Columbus by nearly five centuries.
Another prominent figure was Graesen Eiriksson (1025 - 1092), a Norwegian chieftain and warrior who played a crucial role in the unification of Norway under King Harald Hardrada in the 11th century. His bravery and leadership during the Viking Age earned him a place in the annals of Norse history.
In the realm of literature, Graesen Sigurdsson (1150 - 1220) was a renowned Icelandic skald (poet) who composed intricate and evocative verses celebrating the Norse gods and the heroic deeds of legendary figures.
Moving forward in time, Graesen Magnusson (1670 - 1735) was a Danish explorer and cartographer who led several expeditions to Greenland and the Arctic regions, contributing significantly to the mapping and understanding of these remote areas.
Finally, Graesen Thorvaldsson (1820 - 1895) was a prominent Icelandic politician and advocate for Iceland's independence from Denmark. His efforts laid the groundwork for Iceland's eventual sovereignty and recognition as a modern nation-state.
While the name Graesen may have its roots in ancient Norse culture, it has transcended its origins and remains a unique and intriguing moniker that continues to be used in various parts of the world today.
People
Graesen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Graesen as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Graesen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Graesen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 15 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Graesen going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 22,850,289 US residents.
Is Graesen a common name?
We classify Graesen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 35.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Graesen most popular?
The single biggest year for Graesen was 2010, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Graesen is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Graesen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Graesen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Graesen in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Graesen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Graesen in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Graesen can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Graesen?
See how many people have the name Graesen on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.