Find out how popular the last name DeGraaf is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named DeGraaf.

DeGraaf, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the DeGraaf surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of DeGraaf in America

DeGraaf is the 22260th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The DeGraaf surname appeared 1,158 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname DeGraaf.

We can also compare 2010 data for DeGraaf to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name DeGraaf

The surname DeGraaf originated in the Netherlands, where it first appeared in the 16th century. It is derived from the Dutch words "de" meaning "the" and "graaf" meaning "count" or "earl." This suggests that the name may have been initially borne by someone who worked for a count or held a position of authority under a noble.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the DeGraaf surname can be found in the municipal records of Amsterdam in 1593, where a man named Pieter DeGraaf is mentioned. The name also appears in various other Dutch records from the 16th and 17th centuries, often with variations in spelling such as "de Graeff" or "de Graaff."

In the late 16th century, a prominent Dutch family named DeGraeff rose to prominence in Amsterdam. Pieter DeGraeff (1638-1707) was a wealthy merchant and politician who served as the mayor of Amsterdam from 1688 to 1689. His son, Jacob DeGraeff (1671-1738), was also a successful merchant and held several important positions in the Dutch East India Company.

Another notable figure with the DeGraaf surname was Reinier DeGraaf (1641-1673), a Dutch physician and anatomist who made significant contributions to the field of reproductive biology. He was the first to describe the follicles in the ovaries that are now known as "Graafian follicles" in his honor.

In the 19th century, a family of Dutch immigrants named DeGraaf settled in the United States. One member of this family, John DeGraaf (1832-1901), became a prominent businessman and philanthropist in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He founded the DeGraaf Nature Center, which is still in operation today.

Another notable figure with the DeGraaf surname was Rein DeGraaf (1912-1987), a Dutch-American architect who designed several notable buildings in the Pacific Northwest, including the Portland Building in Oregon and the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle.

The DeGraaf surname has also been associated with various place names in the Netherlands, such as the village of Graft and the town of Graafstroom, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name DeGraaf

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname DeGraaf.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for DeGraaf was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of DeGraaf has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

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