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

Gravely, 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 Gravely surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gravely in America

Gravely is the 10107th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gravely surname appeared 3,187 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Gravely.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gravely 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 Gravely

The surname Gravely is of English origin, deriving from the Old English term "graeflic" which translates to "greedy" or "covetous." This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone perceived as excessively greedy or acquisitive.

The earliest recorded instances of the Gravely surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire from the late 13th century, where it appears as "Gravelee." Similar spellings like "Graveley" and "Gravaley" were also documented in various medieval records across regions like Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.

In the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, the village of Graveley in Hertfordshire is mentioned, suggesting a potential link between the surname and this place name. It's possible that some bearers of the Gravely name may have derived their surname from this location.

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the Gravely surname include John Gravely (c. 1590-1670), an English Puritan clergyman and writer who authored several religious works during the 17th century. Another prominent figure was Sir Henry Gravely (1698-1762), a British military officer who served in the Wars of the Austrian Succession.

In the realm of literature, Thomas Gravely (1767-1835) was an English poet and playwright whose works were published in the early 19th century. Meanwhile, Charles Gravely (1855-1921) was an American entrepreneur and the founder of the Gravely Tractor Company, which became a leading manufacturer of lawn and garden equipment.

More recently, William Gravely (1905-1988) was an American artist and illustrator known for his depictions of rural life and landscapes, particularly in the American South. His paintings and illustrations captured the essence of Southern culture and traditions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gravely

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

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

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

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