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Graves Family History

Graves Name Meaning

English (northern and eastern England): variant of Grave with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s. English: alternatively a variant of Greaves or Grieves . Altered form of German Greff with the addition of excrescent -s a common feature of Americanized surnames. French (southern): topographic name a variant of Grave ‘gravel’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Grave, Graver, Draves, Graven, Grapes, Greaves, Gates, Grover

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Graves family from?

You can see how Graves families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Graves family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Graves families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 346 Graves families living in New York. This was about 20% of all the recorded Graves's in USA. New York had the highest population of Graves families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Graves surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Graves ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Graves. 19% of Graves men worked as a Farmer and 7% of Graves women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Graves were Truck Driver and Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Graves | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    19%
  • Laborer
    15%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    7%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Maid
    7%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Graves family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 455,000 census records available for the last name Graves. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Graves census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Graves

Passenger Lists

There are 36,000 immigration records available for the last name Graves. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Graves immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 87,000 military records available for the last name Graves. For the veterans among your Graves ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Graves military records

You've only scratched the surface of Graves family history

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What is the average Graves lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Graves life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Graves in 1940 was 72, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Graves

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Graves family tree

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