2000
#108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 194,074
First available Census row
Per 100,000 71.94
Common Last name
Graham
A Scottish surname referring to someone who lived on a gravel homestead or near a gravelly stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 222,647 Americans carry the last name Graham. That puts it at #123 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 64.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,539 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Graham surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Graham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
223K
1 in 1,539
Census rank
#123
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
65.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
194K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 194,159 bearers of the surname Graham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 64.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 123rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Graham, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.2%. The next largest groups are Black (23.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Graham
The surname Graham has its origins in Scotland, emerging during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Gaelic term "gramach," which means "grayman" or "gray man," potentially referring to an individual with gray hair or clothing. The name was initially associated with the Anglo-Norman territory of Grahame in the Scottish Borders region.
In the 12th century, the Graham family rose to prominence when Sir William de Graham received lands in Ayrshire from King David I of Scotland. This established the Grahams as a powerful clan in the region. The name is recorded in various historical documents, including the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which contain the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Graham." This suggests that the name may have originated in England before spreading to Scotland. The Graham family's presence in England is also evidenced by the existence of Graham's Town, a village in Northumberland.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Graham. Sir John Graham of Dundaff (1549-1622) was a prominent Scottish statesman and diplomat during the reigns of James VI and Charles I. James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose (1612-1650), was a renowned Scottish military leader and royalist during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
John Graham of Claverhouse (1648-1689), better known as "Bluidy Clavers," was a Scottish soldier and nobleman who played a pivotal role in the Killing Times, a period of religious persecution in Scotland. Robert Graham (1786-1845) was a Scottish chemist and physician who made significant contributions to the study of molecular diffusion.
Martha Graham (1894-1991) was an influential American modern dancer and choreographer who revolutionized dance in the 20th century. Her innovative techniques and choreography had a profound impact on the art form.
The Graham surname has evolved over time, with various spelling variations emerging, such as Grahame, Graeme, and Gram. These variations can be traced back to different regions and historical periods. Additionally, the name has been associated with several place names, such as Grahams Town in South Africa and Graham County in Arizona, United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Graham
Among Census respondents with the surname Graham, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.2%. The next largest groups are Black (23.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Graham bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Graham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.2% · 130,492
- Black or African American23.6% · 45,755
- Two or more races4.3% · 8,380
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 6,963
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1,322
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 1,247
Timeline
Historical Census data for Graham
Graham appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#120
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 201,159
+7,085 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 68.19
Rank movement Down 12 places
2020
#123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 194,159
-7,000 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 64.96
Rank movement Down 3 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #108 | 194,074 | 71.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #120 | 201,159 | 68.19 | +7,085 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 12 places |
| 2020 | #123 | 194,159 | 64.96 | -7,000 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 3 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Graham surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #120 | #123 | -2.5% |
| Count | 201,159 | 194,159 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 68.19 | 64.96 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Graham bearers went from 201,159 to 194,159 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 3 positions in the national ranking, going from #120 to #123.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Graham
FAQ
Graham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Graham?
Name Census estimates that about 222,647 living Americans carry the surname Graham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,539 residents.
How common is Graham?
Graham ranks #123 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 64.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 65 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 194,159 people with the surname Graham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (222,647), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 64.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 64.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 65 of them to have the surname Graham.
Has Graham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Graham went from 201,159 recorded bearers to 194,159. That is a decrease of 7,000 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #120 to #123.
What does the Census say about the background of Graham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Graham, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.2%. The next largest groups are Black (23.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Graham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.2% (130,492 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Graham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.2%), Black (23.6%), Two or More Races (4.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Graham (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Graham mean?
A Scottish surname referring to someone who lived on a gravel homestead or near a gravelly stream. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Graham (64.96 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Graham?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.