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

Draves, 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 Draves surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Draves in America

Draves is the 15709th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Draves surname appeared 1,857 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 Draves.

We can also compare 2010 data for Draves 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 Draves

The surname Draves is of Germanic origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period in central Europe. The name is believed to have originated from the Old German word "draven," which means "to turn" or "to twist." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with an occupation or trade involving turning or twisting, such as a turner or a rope-maker.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Draves can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries across regions of present-day Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. One notable early reference is in the Codex Traditionum Ecclesiae Coloniensis, a manuscript dating back to the 13th century, which mentions a person named "Dravus" in the city of Cologne.

In the 15th century, the name Draves appeared in several records from the Rhineland region of Germany. One such record is the Stadtbücher von Andernach, which mentions a "Johann Draves" as a resident of the town of Andernach in the year 1487. Another early record is from the Urkundenbuch der Stadt Hildesheim, which lists a "Henrich Draves" in the city of Hildesheim in 1492.

As the name Draves spread across various regions, it also underwent slight variations in spelling, such as "Dravez," "Dravis," and "Dravitz." These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the influence of local languages.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Draves was Johannes Draves, a German theologian and reformer who lived from 1494 to 1566. He was a supporter of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in Germany.

Another prominent individual with the name Draves was Johann Friedrich Draves, a German botanist and naturalist who lived from 1777 to 1849. He made significant contributions to the study of plants and published several works on the flora of various regions in Germany.

In the 19th century, the Draves surname gained recognition through the work of Johann Gottlieb Radlof Draves, a German architect and urban planner who lived from 1792 to 1855. He is known for his designs of several important buildings in Berlin and other cities in Prussia.

The name Draves also has historical ties to various place names in Germany, such as the village of Draves in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, and the Draves River, a tributary of the Danube River that flows through Austria and Slovenia.

Throughout its history, the surname Draves has been associated with various professions and occupations, including artisans, craftsmen, scholars, and professionals, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of individuals bearing this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Draves

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

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

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

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