2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gravener
A topographic surname denoting someone who lived on or near a gravel pit or excavation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Gravener. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gravener 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 Gravener with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Gravener in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gravener, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gravener
The surname Gravener is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "graven," which means "to carve" or "to engrave." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an occupation, likely a stonemason or a woodcarver.
The earliest known record of the name Gravener can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where a certain Robert le Gravenor is mentioned. This document, compiled during the reign of King Edward I, was a survey of landholdings across England and Wales. The variant spelling "Gravenor" indicates the name's evolution over time.
In the 14th century, the name appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire, where a John Gravener is listed as a tenant. This provides evidence of the name's presence in the northern counties of England during this period.
A notable figure bearing the Gravener surname was Richard Gravener, a prominent merchant and politician who lived in the 15th century. Born around 1420 in London, he served as an alderman and Member of Parliament for the city. His wealth and influence within the mercantile community of London were substantial.
Another historical figure was William Gravener, a clergyman who lived in the 16th century. He was born in Lincolnshire in 1520 and later became the Rector of Sutton-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire, serving in that role from 1560 until his death in 1592.
In the 17th century, the Gravener name appears to have spread across various regions of England. One notable individual was John Gravener, a wealthy landowner from Gloucestershire, who was born in 1635 and died in 1712. His estate, known as Gravener Manor, was located in the village of Naunton.
The 18th century saw the emergence of Thomas Gravener, a renowned architect and surveyor born in 1735 in Yorkshire. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including St. Peter's Church in Leeds and the York County Hospital. Gravener's architectural legacy left a lasting impact on the landscape of northern England.
Throughout the 19th century, the Gravener surname continued to be present across various parts of England. One significant figure was Edward Gravener, a prominent industrialist and philanthropist from Manchester, who lived from 1815 to 1887. He played a vital role in the development of the textile industry in the region and was known for his charitable works.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gravener
Among Census respondents with the surname Gravener, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gravener 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 Gravener surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.2% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino8.3% · 9
- Two or more races4.6% · 5
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gravener
Gravener 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
#126,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
+10 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 365 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-27 bearers (-20.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,170 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,765 | 135 | 0.05 | +10 bearers (+8.0%) | Down 365 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -27 bearers (-20.0%) | Down 24,170 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 Gravener 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 | #126,765 | #150,935 | -19.1% |
| Count | 135 | 108 | -20.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -27.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gravener bearers went from 135 to 108 (-20.0% change). The surname moved down 24,170 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,765 to #150,935.
FAQ
Gravener surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gravener?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Gravener. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Gravener?
Gravener ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Gravener. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Gravener.
Has Gravener become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gravener went from 135 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 27 (-20.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,765 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Gravener?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gravener, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Gravener in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.2% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gravener appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.2%), Hispanic (8.3%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Gravener (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 Gravener mean?
A topographic surname denoting someone who lived on or near a gravel pit or excavation. 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 Gravener (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 share the surname Gravener?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.