Graham first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Graham has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Graham

Of English origin, meaning "gravelly homestead" or "gravelly meadow".

Popularity of Graham by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Graham is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named Graham being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 2,533 male babies and 16 female babies born with the name Graham.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 16 baby girls were named Graham in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 2,533 16
2022 2,390 12
2021 2,379 10
2020 2,094 7
2019 2,155 7
2018 2,174 6
2017 2,110 11
2016 2,247 13
2015 2,378 10
2014 2,039 10
2013 1,883 8
2012 1,715 9
2011 1,356 7
2010 1,189 0
2009 1,328 0
2008 1,031 7
2007 798 5
2006 649 0
2005 670 0
2004 616 6
2003 662 0
2002 619 6
2001 631 5
2000 618 0
1999 598 0
1998 600 6
1997 554 5
1996 577 0
1995 633 6
1994 589 0
1993 668 5
1992 571 0
1991 629 0
1990 582 5
1989 499 0
1988 488 0
1987 476 0
1986 564 0
1985 521 6
1984 518 0
1983 525 6
1982 474 0
1981 449 0
1980 447 6
1979 366 0
1978 298 0
1977 249 0
1976 248 0
1975 233 0
1974 187 0

The history of the first name Graham

The given name Graham has its origins in the ancient Brythonic Celtic language, spoken in what is now parts of Britain. It is derived from the elements "gra" meaning "gray" and "ham" meaning "homestead" or "settlement". The name likely emerged in the early medieval period, referring to someone who lived near a gray stone house or village.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Graham of Dalkeith, a Scottish nobleman who lived in the 12th century. He was a witness to several royal charters during the reign of King William the Lion of Scotland. The Clan Graham, an ancient Scottish clan, takes its name from this early Graham line.

In the 13th century, Sir John Graham was a prominent figure in the Wars of Scottish Independence, fighting alongside William Wallace and Robert the Bruce against English rule. He was instrumental in the victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 and was later made Lord Graham.

The name Graham gained wider recognition in the 15th century with the rise of the House of Graham, a powerful noble family in Scotland. Patrick Graham, 1st Lord Graham (c.1445-1513), was a trusted advisor to King James IV of Scotland and played a key role in the Scottish Renaissance.

A notable bearer of the name in later centuries was James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose (1612-1650), a Scottish nobleman and military leader who fought for the Royalist cause in the English Civil War. He was executed by the Covenanters in 1650 for his loyalty to King Charles I.

In the 18th century, John Graham of Claverhouse (1648-1689), better known as "Bonnie Dundee", was a Scottish soldier and professional officer who fought for the House of Stuart during the Jacobite risings. He was killed at the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689, becoming a romantic figure in Scottish folklore.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Graham was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Graham, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Graham first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 21, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/graham-meaning-and-history/.

"Graham first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/graham-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 21 December, 2024

Graham first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/graham-meaning-and-history/.

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