Explore the Family Name Graham
The meaning of Graham
1. Scottish: habitational name from Grantham in Lincolnshire, recorded in Domesday Book as Graham (as well as Grantham, Grandham, and Granham). See also Grantham. 2. Irish (especially Ulster): in Ireland Graham is generally the Scottish name, but it has additionally been adopted as an Anglicized form of both Ó Creacháin (see Crehan) and Ó Gormghaile (see Gormley). History: The surname Graham was taken to Scotland at the beginning of the 12th century by the Norman baron William de Graham, holder of the manor of Grantham in Lincolnshire, from whom many, if not all, modern bearers are probably descended. The chief of Clan Graham is the Duke of Montrose.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Graham in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Graham experienced a decrease in rank by 11.11% from 108 in 2000 to 120 in 2010, indicating its popularity among U.S. residents slightly waned during that decade. However, the overall count of people with the Graham surname increased by 3.65% from 194,074 in 2000 to 201,159 in 2010. The proportion per 100,000 residents also declined by 5.21%, going from 71.94 in 2000 to 68.19 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #108 | #120 | -11.11% |
| Count | 194,074 | 201,159 | 3.65% |
| Proportion per 100k | 71.94 | 68.19 | -5.21% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Graham
The Decennial U.S. Census data reveals shifts in the ethnic identity associated with the surname Graham between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Grahams identifying as Hispanic saw the most significant gain, increasing by 55.49%. Those identifying as part of two or more races rose by 32.30%, while Asian/Pacific Islander Grahams increased their representation by 21.43%. The Black Graham community saw a modest growth of 5.59% and the American Indian and Alaskan Native Grahams had a slight rise of 3.90%. Conversely, the percentage of White individuals with the Graham surname fell by 3.87%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 72.84% | 70.02% | -3.87% |
| Black | 22.72% | 23.99% | 5.59% |
| Hispanic | 1.64% | 2.55% | 55.49% |
| Two or More Races | 1.61% | 2.13% | 32.3% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.77% | 0.8% | 3.9% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.42% | 0.51% | 21.43% |
Graham ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Graham is British & Irish, which comprises 54.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.5%) and Eastern European (3.7%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Nigerian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.6% |
| French & German | 20.5% |
| Eastern European | 3.7% |
| Other | 21.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Graham
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Graham have recent ancestry locations in United Kingdom and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.10% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 84.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 84.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 84.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 84.60% |
What Graham haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Graham is J-CTS5368, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-CTS5368 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-S660, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Grimes, Webster, Kaplan, Crouch, Morin, Cohen, Solomon, Brock, Burgos, Schwartz.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Graham surname are: T2b, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304
Your paternal lineage may be linked to men who spread the Semitic languages
Men carrying the J-M267 lineage took part in many waves of migrations over the millennia, and domesticated animals and plants weren't the only things they carried. They may also have been among the communities that spread the Semitic languages, a diverse group that bloomed from a single proto-Semitic tongue in the Levant nearly 5,750 years ago. These men likely carried branches of both haplogroup J and of the Semitic language family through the Arabian Peninsula to the Horn of Africa. Still later, some J-M267-bearing men re-expanded from the Arabian Peninsula back through the Middle East and across North Africa in migrations associated with the emergence and spread of Islam.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Graham have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Graham" Surname 40.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Graham" Surname 27.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Graham" Surname 21.4%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Cat Allergy
An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.
"Graham" Surname 35.2%
23andMe Users 36.7%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Graham?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Graham are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition