Graham is used as a family name or surname in Ireland, Scotland. It is 6 characters long in length.

Family Name / Last Name: Graham
No. of characters: 6
Origin: Ireland, Scotland
Meaning:

Grim, Savage; for this name resembles rather the Anglo-Saxon word "grim" - i.e., sharp, savage, cruel, grim - than the Celtic "gruamach," - i.e., sullen, morose, gloomy, - and is of the same class as the German name Grimm, the French le sauvage, the Dutch de Wilde, and the English Savage and Wild.

The traditionary descent of this family from one Grime, who in the fifth century made a breach in the wall of Severus, probably saved them from being classed with the Campbells, Cumyns, Frasers, Grants, and many other great Scottish houses to whom a foreign origin was given, as this name has really an Anglo-Norman appearance; the Romance word "grams or graims" and gram, grom in Saxon, i.e., furious, fierce, angry, passionate, not differing much from the surname of the first of this family who appears in charters; viz., William de Graeme, A.D. 1128.

The ancestor of the Graemes of the Debatable Land was styled John with the bright sword. He was second son of Malise Graham, Earl of Menteith.

Graham is a variant form of Graeme. Grim, Savage; for this name resembles rather the Anglo-Saxon word "grim" - i.e., sharp, savage, cruel, grim - than the Celtic "gruamach," - i.e., sullen, morose, gloomy, - and is of the same class as the German name Grimm, the French le sauvage, the Dutch de Wilde, and the English Savage and Wild.

The traditionary descent of this family from one Grime, who in the fifth century made a breach in the wall of Severus, probably saved them from being classed with the Campbells, Cumyns, Frasers, Grants, and many other great Scottish houses to whom a foreign origin was given, as this name has really an Anglo-Norman appearance; the Romance word "grams or graims" and gram, grom in Saxon, i.e., furious, fierce, angry, passionate, not differing much from the surname of the first of this family who appears in charters; viz., William de Graeme, A.D. 1128.

The ancestor of the Graemes of the Debatable Land was styled John with the bright sword. He was second son of Malise Graham, Earl of Menteith.

Dweller at the gray homestead.

Lastname Graham is form of Graeme. According to the Scottish genealogists, who, as Camden tells us, "think surnames as ancient as the moon, this illustrious patronymic is derived from Greme, who was regent of Scotland during the minority of Eugene II. (conmmencing A.D. 419), and had many "engagements with the Britons and by forcing that mighty rampart they had reared up between the rivers of Forth and Clyde, immortalized his name so much, as that to this day that entrenchment is called Graham's Dyke." Collins, who gravely states this, finds, however, no record of the family earlier than the time of King David I., A.D. 1125, when the name was written Greme. Somewhat later it was written De Graeme, which shows its local origin; and indeed it is simply a Scottish pronunciation of Graham.

The name has always been written interchangeably with Graine-the Scottish orthography. The earliest traceable ancestor, (for we reject of course the fifth-century hero Greme-See Græme,) is William de GRAHAM, who settled in Scotland early in the XII. century. The surname therefore is clearly local, and from its termination undoubtedly English. The only place in South Britain of the name is Graham, near Kesteven in Lincolnshire.

How popular is Graham?

Graham is common in United States, England, Canada, Australia, Scotland, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, Ireland, Wales, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, France, Barbados, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Mexico, Germany, Panama, Guyana, Vanuatu, Dominican Republic, Argentina, Dominica, Brazil, Netherlands, Antigua and Barbuda, Singapore, Bahamas, Belize, Costa Rica, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Philippines, Peru, India, Japan, Ghana, Denmark, United States Virgin Islands, Israel, Sweden, Norway, Isle of Man.

Graham is ranked 1185 on our list.

Despite the fact that the number of Graham bearers increased by 3.65 per cent in 2010 US census to 201159 since 2000, the surname slipped by 12 spots and ranked at 120. The last name was found in around 7 per ten thousand population. Please refer to following table for race and ethnicity.

Race 2010 2000
White 70.02 72.84
Black 23.99 22.72
Hispanic or Latino 2.55 1.64
Others 2.13 1.61
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.8 0.77
Asian and Native Hawaiian
& Other Pacific Islander		 0.51 0.42
Graham is quite popular family name mostly used in United States however Norfolk Island lie ahead in terms of density. Around 449865 people have been found who wears Graham as their family name. Graham is used widely across the globe. More detailed information can be found below:
RankCountryCount
Countries with hundred thousands of Graham:
103 United States258,426
Countries with ten thousands of Graham:
100 England56,009
62 Canada34,951
66 Australia34,809
25 Scotland18,281
38 Jamaica12,654
Countries with thousands of Graham:
12 Northern Ireland7,125
1,427 South Africa4,733
79 New Zealand4,597
272 Ireland3,472
230 Wales1,447
Countries with hundreds of Graham:
9,938 Thailand938
222 Trinidad and Tobago923
11,894 Nigeria894
931 Papua New Guinea766
16,693 France595
136 Barbados575
9,689 Saudi Arabia477
9,017 Spain409
6,883 Mexico402
23,133 Germany399
926 Panama373
408 Guyana338
191 Vanuatu315
1,918 Dominican Republic308
12,770 Argentina283
73 Dominica272
28,687 Brazil271
12,772 Netherlands224
86 Antigua and Barbuda193
1,328 Singapore150
352 Bahamas149
515 Belize149
914 Costa Rica147
2,935 Liberia143
15,099 Zimbabwe141
74,930 Philippines132
10,153 Peru131
143,436 India124
20,447 Japan123
11,394 Ghana116
5,081 Denmark115
145 United States Virgin Islands111
9,601 Israel108
6,647 Sweden108
7,092 Norway104
121 Isle of Man102
Countries with low frequency i.e., 50 - 100:
1,085 Cyprus94
5,195 Portugal94
113 Cayman Islands89
115 Guernsey88
22,215 Greece83
1,580 Suriname83
10,605 Switzerland83
1,084 Solomon Islands82
62,609 Italy79
176 Jersey78
5,585 Kuwait77
21,368 Belgium75
326 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines73
22,065 Malaysia69
335 Grenada55
Countries with very low frequency i.e., 10 - 50:
1,606 China45
9,599 Ecuador44
188,390 Russia38
2,992 Hong Kong36
193,360 Indonesia36
9,049 Afghanistan35
8,789 Latvia35
14,245 Venezuela33
398 Marshall Islands32
187 British Virgin Islands26
2,723 New Caledonia26
161 Turks and Caicos Islands25
1,021 Malta24
16,989 Chile23
3,011 Honduras23
23,003 United Arab Emirates23
733 Andorra22
463 Bermuda22
15,343 Botswana22
36,653 Kenya20
56,138 Czechia19
46,251 Austria18
12 Norfolk Island17
24,270 Finland16
1,526 Guam16
51,703 Pakistan16
516 Sierra Leone16
6,046 Cuba15
3,386 Nicaragua15
323 Cook Islands14
389 Curaçao14
38,752 Hungary14
585 Gibraltar13
724 South Korea13
Countries with very very low frequency i.e., 6 - 10:
1,511 Aruba9
36,710 Croatia9
12,579 Haiti9
30,726 Qatar9
2,767 Vietnam9
114 Saint Martin8
17,989 Taiwan8
146,768 Poland7
139,182 Turkey7
23,614 Colombia6
107,736 Kazakhstan6
78,715 Slovakia6
Show Full Last Name Distribution

Immigrants to US

From Ireland

Thomas Graham was 23 years old when he migrated to Brooklyn during Irish famine on May 16, 1846. He lived in Co.Longford, Ireland where he worked as and took Eliazbeth from Liverpool. Peter Graham, aged 13, 21 years old Mrs Graham, Carpenter Pat Graham, George Graham, aged 20, Maid Eliza Graham, Immigrant Francis Graham, Pat Graham (20) Workman, William Graham, aged 22, and 785 other Graham around 44.77% of whom were workman while others worked as servant and carpenter, spinster, weaver, joiner, farmer, clerk, miner, tailoress, mechanic, cabinet maker, plumber, shoemaker, seamstress, merchant, matron migrated to US.

From Germany

Anastasia Graham from Germany aboard the Sir Robert Peel from London on July 19, 1851. She is registered to be 34 years old when she arrived in New York. Frederick Graham, Jacob Graham (32) Mason, U-Miss Graham (23) Farmer, U-Miss Graham, aged 43, U-Mrs Graham, aged 84, 16 years old Ernst Graham, Eugene Graham, aged 23, A.C. Graham (50), and 18 other Graham majority of whom were laborer and others worked as teacher migrated to US from London, Bremen, Bremen, Havana & Havre and Liverpool & Queenstown.

Graham Namesakes

  • Lola Graham,
  • Sylvester Graham, American dietary reformer
  • Shawn Graham, Canadian politician
  • W. S. Graham, Scottish poet
  • Robert M. Graham, cybersecurity researcher computer scientist and Professor Emeritus of Computer Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • Frank D. Graham, prolific and eloquent writer of the ever popular and frequently reprinted Audel's guides of various titles
  • Bruce Graham, Colombian-American architect
  • Gwethalyn Graham, Canadian writer and activist
  • James Gillespie Graham, Scottish architect
  • Colin Graham, stage director of opera, theatre, and television
  • John J. Graham, American graphic artist
  • A. B. Graham, was born near Lena, Ohio
  • Chuck Graham, Democratic politician
  • Winthrop Graham, retired athlete
  • Robert A. Graham, American Jesuit priest and World War II historian of the Catholic Church
  • Alistair Graham, Chairman of the Committee on Standards
  • Karen Graham, respected fly-fishing expert
  • Susan Graham, American mezzo-soprano
  • Carlos Graham,
  • Trevor Graham, American athletics coach
  • Cosmo Graham, professor
  • John de Graham, 13th-century Scottish noble
  • Amos Graham, first Nodaway County, Missouri clerk
  • Orlando Graham, American former professional basketball player
  • Benjamin S. Graham, Benjamin S. Graham, Sr
  • Glen Graham, American athlete
  • Scott Graham, American sportscaster best
  • Mark Anthony Graham, Canadian Olympic athlete and soldier
  • Alan R. Graham, Canadian retired politician
  • Maurice W. Graham, " Graham was best known as five-time holder of the title "King of the Hobos"
  • Fergus Graham, Conservative Party politician
  • Juliann Graham, church choir singer
  • Ludo Graham, British television producer and director
  • Gwendolyn Graham,
  • Gerald S. Graham, was Rhodes Professor of Imperial History at King's College London
  • Godfrey Graham, Irish former cricketer
  • James H. Graham, American politician from New York
  • Othalie Graham, Canadian American dramatic soprano,
  • Jessica Graham, American actress, producer and meditation teacher
  • Lollie Graham, Scottish poet and author
  • Alexander H. Graham, North Carolina attorney and politician
  • Ronald Graham, American mathematician credited by the American Mathematical Society as being "one of the principal architects of the rapid development worldwide of discrete mathematics
  • Duncan Archibald Graham, Canadian physician and academic
  • Susan L. Graham, American computer scientist
  • Sidney Graham, mathematician interested
  • A. C. Graham, Welsh scholar and Sinologist
  • Larry Graham, Larry Graham Jr
  • Heather Graham, American actress
  • Bob Graham, American politician and author
  • Neile Graham, poet and scholar
  • Winston Graham, English novelist best
  • Cunninghame Graham, Scottish politician, writer
  • Franklin Graham, Christian evangelist and missionary
  • Benjamin Graham, British-born American investor, economist

Graham Namesakes

  • Lola Graham,
  • Sylvester Graham, American dietary reformer
  • Shawn Graham, Canadian politician
  • W. S. Graham, Scottish poet
  • Robert M. Graham, cybersecurity researcher computer scientist and Professor Emeritus of Computer Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • Frank D. Graham, prolific and eloquent writer of the ever popular and frequently reprinted Audel's guides of various titles
  • Bruce Graham, Colombian-American architect
  • Gwethalyn Graham, Canadian writer and activist
  • James Gillespie Graham, Scottish architect
  • Colin Graham, stage director of opera, theatre, and television
  • John J. Graham, American graphic artist
  • A. B. Graham, was born near Lena, Ohio
  • Chuck Graham, Democratic politician
  • Winthrop Graham, retired athlete
  • Robert A. Graham, American Jesuit priest and World War II historian of the Catholic Church
  • Alistair Graham, Chairman of the Committee on Standards
  • Karen Graham, respected fly-fishing expert
  • Susan Graham, American mezzo-soprano
  • Carlos Graham,
  • Trevor Graham, American athletics coach
  • Cosmo Graham, professor
  • John de Graham, 13th-century Scottish noble
  • Amos Graham, first Nodaway County, Missouri clerk
  • Orlando Graham, American former professional basketball player
  • Benjamin S. Graham, Benjamin S. Graham, Sr
  • Glen Graham, American athlete
  • Scott Graham, American sportscaster best
  • Mark Anthony Graham, Canadian Olympic athlete and soldier
  • Alan R. Graham, Canadian retired politician
  • Maurice W. Graham, " Graham was best known as five-time holder of the title "King of the Hobos"
  • Fergus Graham, Conservative Party politician
  • Juliann Graham, church choir singer
  • Ludo Graham, British television producer and director
  • Gwendolyn Graham,
  • Gerald S. Graham, was Rhodes Professor of Imperial History at King's College London
  • Godfrey Graham, Irish former cricketer
  • James H. Graham, American politician from New York
  • Othalie Graham, Canadian American dramatic soprano,
  • Jessica Graham, American actress, producer and meditation teacher
  • Lollie Graham, Scottish poet and author
  • Alexander H. Graham, North Carolina attorney and politician
  • Ronald Graham, American mathematician credited by the American Mathematical Society as being "one of the principal architects of the rapid development worldwide of discrete mathematics
  • Duncan Archibald Graham, Canadian physician and academic
  • Susan L. Graham, American computer scientist
  • Sidney Graham, mathematician interested
  • A. C. Graham, Welsh scholar and Sinologist
  • Larry Graham, Larry Graham Jr
  • Heather Graham, American actress
  • Bob Graham, American politician and author
  • Neile Graham, poet and scholar
  • Winston Graham, English novelist best
  • Cunninghame Graham, Scottish politician, writer
  • Franklin Graham, Christian evangelist and missionary
  • Benjamin Graham, British-born American investor, economist

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