Explore the Family Name Grabe

The meaning of Grabe

German: 1. topographic name for someone who lived by a dike or ditch (see Grab), or a habitational name from either of two places in Thuringia named with this word, Grabe and Graba. 2. metonymic occupational name from Middle High German grabe ‘spade’ for the manufacturer or a person who works with it. Some characteristic forenames: German Arno, Ernst, Klaus, Ulrich.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Grabe in the United States?

Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname 'Grabe' has seen a decline in its popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked as the 40,622nd most common name, but by 2010 it had slipped to 45,105th. This represents an 11.04% drop in rank. Alongside this, there was also a decrease in the actual count of people with the last name 'Grabe', falling from 507 individuals in 2000 to 475 in 2010, signifying a 6.31% reduction. The proportion of the Grabe surname per 100,000 residents also decreased by 15.79% during this period.

20002010Change
Rank#40,622#45,105-11.04%
Count507475-6.31%
Proportion per 100k0.190.16-15.79%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Grabe

Turning to ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Grabe'. In 2000, 95.07% of those with the Grabe surname identified as White. By 2010, this figure had declined to 90.95%, marking a -4.33% change. During the same period, there was an increase in the percentage identifying as Hispanic, surging from 1.97% in 2000 to 4.21% in 2010, a notable 113.71% increase. There were also minor increases in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black, though they started at 0% in 2000. The percentage of those reporting two or more races rose from 0.99% to 1.47%, a 48.48% increase, while those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native remained constant at 0%.

20002010Change
White95.07%90.95%-4.33%
Hispanic1.97%4.21%113.71%
Black0%1.89%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%1.47%0%
Two or More Races0.99%1.47%48.48%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%