2000
#340
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 82,179
First available Census row
Per 100,000 30.46
Uncommon Last name
Graves
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a grove or burial ground.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 92,349 Americans carry the last name Graves. That puts it at #389 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 26.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,712 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Graves 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 Graves with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
92K
1 in 3,712
Census rank
#389
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
26.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
81K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 80,533 bearers of the surname Graves in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 26.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 389th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Graves, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.2%. The next largest groups are Black (23.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Graves
The surname Graves has its origins in England, dating back to the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "grave," which means a small brook or stream. This term was often used to describe a person who lived near a small brook or stream.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Graves can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Graua." This entry suggests that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "atte Grave" and "de la Grave," indicating its connection to a specific location or landmark. As time passed, the name evolved into its modern spelling of "Graves."
One notable bearer of the Graves surname was Sir Thomas Graves (c. 1585-1653), an English soldier and politician who served as a member of Parliament during the English Civil War. Another prominent figure was Admiral Samuel Graves (1713-1787), a British naval officer who played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War.
In the literary world, Robert Graves (1895-1985), a renowned English poet, novelist, and scholar, made significant contributions to literature. His works, including "I, Claudius" and "The White Goddess," have left a lasting impact on readers worldwide.
The Graves surname also has connections to place names. For instance, the village of Gravesend in Kent, England, is believed to have derived its name from the Old English words "grāf" meaning "grove" and "end" meaning "corner" or "remote place."
Other notable individuals bearing the Graves surname include Sir George Graves (1785-1835), an English naval officer and explorer, and Michael Graves (1934-2015), an influential American architect known for his postmodern designs.
Throughout history, the Graves surname has been present across various regions of England, with concentrations in counties like Kent, Essex, and Suffolk. While the name has evolved over time, its roots can be traced back to the early medieval period, reflecting the historical significance of this English surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Graves
Among Census respondents with the surname Graves, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.2%. The next largest groups are Black (23.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Graves 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 Graves surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.2% · 54,154
- Black or African American23.1% · 18,584
- Two or more races4.7% · 3,798
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 2,961
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 585
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 451
Timeline
Historical Census data for Graves
Graves 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
#371
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 84,179
+2,000 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 28.54
Rank movement Down 31 places
2020
#389
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 80,533
-3,646 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 26.94
Rank movement Down 18 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #340 | 82,179 | 30.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #371 | 84,179 | 28.54 | +2,000 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 31 places |
| 2020 | #389 | 80,533 | 26.94 | -3,646 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 18 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 Graves 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 | #371 | #389 | -4.9% |
| Count | 84,179 | 80,533 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 28.54 | 26.94 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Graves bearers went from 84,179 to 80,533 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 18 positions in the national ranking, going from #371 to #389.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Graves
FAQ
Graves surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Graves?
Name Census estimates that about 92,349 living Americans carry the surname Graves. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,712 residents.
How common is Graves?
Graves ranks #389 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 26.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 27 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 80,533 people with the surname Graves. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (92,349), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 26.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 26.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 27 of them to have the surname Graves.
Has Graves become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Graves went from 84,179 recorded bearers to 80,533. That is a decrease of 3,646 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #371 to #389.
What does the Census say about the background of Graves?
Among Census respondents with the surname Graves, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.2%. The next largest groups are Black (23.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Graves in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.2% (54,154 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Graves appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.2%), Black (23.1%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Graves (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 Graves mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a grove or burial ground. 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 Graves (26.94 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 Graves?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.