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

Grafals, 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 Grafals surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Grafals in America

Grafals is the 108199th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Grafals surname appeared 164 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 Grafals.

We can also compare 2010 data for Grafals 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 Grafals

The surname "GRAFALS" is of German origin, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, where it was derived from the Old High German word "gräfalf," which translates to "count's servant" or "servant of the count."

In the medieval period, surnames often indicated a person's occupation or social status. The name "GRAFALS" likely referred to individuals who worked as servants or attendants in the households of local counts or nobility. It may have been a descriptive surname, given to those who served in such roles.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "GRAFALS" can be found in the Bavarian town records from the late 13th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Gräfalz," "Gräfels," and "Gräfaltz," reflecting the regional dialects and orthographic variations of the time.

In the 14th century, a notable bearer of the name was Johannes Grafals, a scribe and scholar who lived in Nuremberg from 1349 to 1412. His works included transcribing and preserving important historical texts and manuscripts.

During the 16th century, the name "GRAFALS" gained prominence in the region of Saxony. One notable figure was Hans Grafals (1501-1567), a successful merchant and landowner in Leipzig. His descendants continued to play a role in the local economy and governance of the city for several generations.

In the 18th century, Johann Georg Grafals (1738-1812) was a respected theologian and philosopher from Württemberg. He authored several influential works on ethics and moral philosophy, which were widely read and debated in academic circles of the time.

Another noteworthy individual was Wilhelm Grafals (1822-1891), a renowned architect from Bavaria. He was responsible for designing several iconic buildings and churches in Munich, including the Neoromanesque Basilica of St. Boniface.

Over the centuries, the surname "GRAFALS" has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, clergy, merchants, and artisans. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, the name has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, reflecting the migrations and diverse histories of its bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Grafals

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Grafals, 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!