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

Graffius, 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 Graffius surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Graffius in America

Graffius is the 42378th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Graffius surname appeared 512 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 Graffius.

We can also compare 2010 data for Graffius 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 Graffius

The surname GRAFFIUS originates from Germany, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Grafe," which means "count" or "earl," suggesting that the name was likely held by individuals with ties to nobility or aristocracy.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the GRAFFIUS surname can be found in the town records of Nürnberg, where a certain Hans GRAFFIUS was mentioned as a prominent merchant in the year 1547. The name also appears in various church records and legal documents from the same period in regions such as Bavaria and Saxony.

During the 17th century, the GRAFFIUS name gained prominence in the city of Hamburg, where Johannes GRAFFIUS (1588-1662) was a renowned philosopher and theologian. He authored several influential works on metaphysics and theology, cementing the family's intellectual legacy.

In the 18th century, the GRAFFIUS name found its way to the Americas through German immigration. One notable figure was Wilhelm GRAFFIUS (1735-1801), a skilled clockmaker who settled in Pennsylvania and established a successful business crafting intricate timepieces.

The 19th century saw the GRAFFIUS surname spread across Europe, with notable individuals such as Friedrich GRAFFIUS (1825-1892), a German composer and music teacher who contributed significantly to the development of choral music in his native country.

Another prominent figure was Emilie GRAFFIUS (1858-1932), a Swiss artist renowned for her exquisite landscape paintings, which captured the natural beauty of the Alps and the Swiss countryside. Her works are still celebrated and displayed in various museums across Europe.

As the GRAFFIUS name continued to spread, it also found its way to other parts of the world, including Australia, where Johann GRAFFIUS (1870-1945) became a respected farmer and landowner, contributing to the agricultural development of the country in the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Graffius

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

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

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

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