Graves Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Graves Name Meaning: A patronymic variant of 'Grave'.Occupational from 'Greyve',denoted from middle English,meaning 'steward'. Also topographic,a variant of 'Grove'.

This may indicate somebody who lived near a 'grove' or 'thicket'.

Discover how your Graves ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Graves Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Graves family

Profession Census Frequency
Scholar 741
Agricultural Labourer 102
General Labourer 57
Domestic Servant 52
Farmer 50
Living On Own Means 45
Dress Maker 35
Labourer 34
General Servant 34
Farm Servant 34
Farm Labourer 29
Living On Her Own Means 24
Errand Boy 24
Laundress 23
House Keeper 22
Coal Miner 21
Gardener 20
General Servant Domestic 20
Carpenter 16
General Domestic Servant 15
Clerk 14
Painter 13
Grocer 13
Cotton Weaver 13
Dressmaker 12

Graves Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Greaves 86% 61,638
2 Groves 83% 55,517
3 Graves 100% 34,701
4 Grieves 71% 4,346
5 Greeves 71% 3,658
6 Greves 83% 2,031
7 Gervis 50% 1,055
8 Garvis 50% 704
9 Grooves 71% 535
10 Grives 83% 450
11 Greives 71% 269
12 Gravis 83% 191
13 Gervase 43% 163
14 Garves 67% 154

Did you know?

The surname Graves is the 3rd most popular variant of Greaves.

Search for the Graves family