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

Graeff, 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 Graeff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Graeff in America

Graeff is the 23899th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Graeff surname appeared 1,056 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 Graeff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Graeff 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 Graeff

The surname Graeff has its origins in the German language, with its earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old High German word "graf," which means "count" or "earl," suggesting that the name may have initially been associated with nobility or landed gentry.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the historical records of the city of Cologne, Germany, where a certain Henricus Graeff was mentioned in a document from 1174. This indicates that the name was already established in the region during that period.

In the 13th century, the Graeff family emerged as a prominent lineage in the German state of Hesse. Records show that a Gottfried Graeff served as a city councilor in Marburg, Hesse, in the year 1270. The family's influence and landholdings continued to grow over the following centuries, with various branches establishing themselves in different parts of Germany.

During the 16th century, the Graeff name gained further recognition with the birth of Johann Friedrich Graeff (1545-1623), a German Reformed theologian and professor at the University of Heidelberg. His contributions to the field of theology and his published works added to the prestige of the family name.

In the 17th century, the Graeff surname spread to other parts of Europe, particularly the Netherlands. One notable figure was Willem Graeff (1630-1711), a Dutch merchant and politician who served as the Mayor of Amsterdam from 1691 to 1693.

The 18th century saw the emergence of Johann Friedrich Christoph Graeff (1719-1795), a German jurist and legal scholar who served as the president of the High Court of Appeals in Berlin. His works on legal theory and practice were widely influential during his time.

As the centuries passed, the Graeff name continued to be associated with individuals of notable accomplishments. In the 19th century, Arnold Graeff (1847-1924) was a German-American artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraits, many of which depicted scenes from his native Germany.

Throughout its long history, the surname Graeff has maintained its presence across various regions of Germany and beyond, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in fields such as law, politics, religion, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Graeff

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

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

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

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