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Graves Family History

Graves Surname 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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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 1891 there were 894 Graves families living in London. This was about 18% of all the recorded Graves's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Graves families in 1891.
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.
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What did your Graves ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Graves. 10% of Graves men worked as a General Labourer and 68% of Graves women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Graves were Farmer and Incapacitated.

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 1939

  • General Labourer
    10%
  • Farm Labourer
    5%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Farmer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

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 UK 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 UK, 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

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Graves ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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