2000
#107,038
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 154
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Grame
A locational surname originating from the village of Grame in Northumberland, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Grame. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grame 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.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Grame in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grame, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Black (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grame
The surname GRAME has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "gram," meaning "angry" or "fierce." The Grame family was initially based in the Scottish Borders region, particularly in the areas around Roxburghshire and Berwickshire.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GRAME surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list individuals who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. Among those listed is a certain John Grame from Roxburghshire.
The GRAME name also appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in the 14th century, indicating the family's prominence in the region during that time. One notable figure was Sir Patrick Grame, who served as a Scottish ambassador to England in 1357.
In the 15th century, the GRAME family established themselves as landowners in the Scottish Borders. Records show that a John Grame held the lands of Dalkeith in Midlothian around 1450.
During the Scottish Reformation in the 16th century, the GRAME family played a significant role. John Grame (1500-1573), a Protestant reformer and writer, was a prominent figure in the movement and worked closely with John Knox.
Another notable individual was James Grame (1612-1650), a Scottish mathematician and astronomer. He was appointed as the first Regius Professor of Mathematics at the University of St. Andrews in 1646.
The GRAME surname also has ties to the Clan Graham, one of the most powerful clans in Scottish history. While the surnames are similar, their origins and histories are distinct.
In the 17th century, a branch of the GRAME family emigrated to Ireland, where they settled in County Antrim. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in Ireland is found in the parish records of Templepatrick, where a William Grame was listed in 1672.
Other notable figures with the GRAME surname include Sir Robert Grame (1753-1836), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars, and Sir George Grame (1800-1878), a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as the Lord President of the Court of Session.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grame
Among Census respondents with the surname Grame, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Black (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Grame 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 Grame surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 105
- Two or more races5.9% · 7
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grame
Grame 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-33 bearers (-21.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 31,266 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,207 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #107,038 | 154 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | -33 bearers (-21.4%) | Down 31,266 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 5,207 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 Grame 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 | #138,304 | #143,511 | -3.8% |
| Count | 121 | 118 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grame bearers went from 121 to 118 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 5,207 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #143,511.
FAQ
Grame surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grame?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Grame. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Grame?
Grame ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 118 people with the surname Grame. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Grame.
Has Grame become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grame went from 121 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Grame?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grame, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Black (2.5%). 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 Grame in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grame appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.0%), Two or More Races (5.9%), Black (2.5%). 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 Grame (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 Grame mean?
A locational surname originating from the village of Grame in Northumberland, England. 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 Grame (0.04 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 Grame?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.