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

DeGraff, 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 DeGraff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of DeGraff in America

DeGraff is the 13407th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The DeGraff surname appeared 2,273 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname DeGraff.

We can also compare 2010 data for DeGraff 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 DeGraff

The surname DEGRAFF originated in the Netherlands during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Dutch words "de" meaning "the" and "graaf" meaning "count" or "earl." The name likely referred to someone who worked on the lands of a count or held a position under a count's authority.

The earliest recorded instances of the name appear in Dutch records from the 15th century, with variations in spelling such as DeGraeff, DeGraef, and DeGrave. The name was particularly common in the provinces of North Holland and South Holland, where many counts and nobles held lands.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname DEGRAFF was Jan DeGraeff, a wealthy merchant and politician in Amsterdam, who lived from 1603 to 1673. He served as a regent of the Dutch East India Company and played a significant role in the city's governance.

During the 17th century, some Dutch families with the surname DEGRAFF immigrated to the Dutch colonies in North America, particularly New Netherland, which later became New York. One notable figure was Isaac DeGraff, born in 1676 in Albany, New York, who served as a military captain and landowner.

In the 18th century, the DEGRAFF name appeared in various parts of Europe, including France and Germany. For instance, Johann Friedrich DeGraff, a German-born artist and engraver, lived from 1724 to 1805 and produced numerous etchings and engravings during his lifetime.

Another prominent individual with the surname DEGRAFF was Paulus DeGraff, a Dutch-American politician who served as the 12th Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1809 to 1813. He was born in Schenectady, New York, in 1764 and played a significant role in the state's political affairs during the early 19th century.

While the surname DEGRAFF has its origins in the Netherlands, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and other countries with Dutch immigration. The name continues to hold its historical connection to the Dutch nobility and the administrative roles associated with the counts and earls of the Netherlands.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name DeGraff

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

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 DeGraff 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 DeGraff 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 DeGraff was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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