NameCensus.

UK surname

Graham

A Scottish surname referring to someone who lived on a gravel homestead or near a gravelly stream.

In the 1881 census there were 34,451 people recorded with the Graham surname, ranking it #94 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 59,219, ranked #79, up from #94 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Carlisle St Cuthbert, Govan Combination and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Carlisle and Allerdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Graham is 59,794 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 71.9%.

1881 census count

34,451

Ranked #94

Modern count

59,219

2016, ranked #79

Peak year

2010

59,794 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Graham had 34,451 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #94 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 59,219 in 2016, ranked #79.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 43,222 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Graham surname distribution map

The map shows where the Graham surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Graham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Graham over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 22,961 #90
1861 historical 24,616 #82
1881 historical 34,451 #94
1891 historical 37,912 #90
1901 historical 43,222 #94
1911 historical 30,281 #127
1997 modern 55,671 #77
1998 modern 57,471 #77
1999 modern 57,855 #77
2000 modern 57,800 #77
2001 modern 56,392 #77
2002 modern 57,677 #76
2003 modern 56,259 #76
2004 modern 56,411 #77
2005 modern 55,947 #76
2006 modern 56,043 #77
2007 modern 56,593 #79
2008 modern 57,033 #80
2009 modern 58,588 #80
2010 modern 59,794 #80
2011 modern 58,882 #80
2012 modern 57,726 #80
2013 modern 59,072 #80
2014 modern 59,572 #80
2015 modern 59,301 #80
2016 modern 59,219 #79

Geography

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Where Grahams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Carlisle St Cuthbert, Govan Combination, Gateshead, London parishes and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Carlisle and Allerdale. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Carlisle St Cuthbert Cumberland
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Gateshead Durham
4 London parishes London 3
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Carlisle 009 Carlisle
2 Allerdale 001 Allerdale
3 Carlisle 010 Carlisle
4 Carlisle 011 Carlisle
5 Carlisle 004 Carlisle

Forenames

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First names often paired with Graham

These lists show first names that appear often with the Graham surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Graham

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Graham, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Graham surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Graham household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Graham is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Graham is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Graham falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Graham is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Graham, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Graham

The surname Graham has its origins in Scotland, emerging during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Gaelic term "gramach," which means "grayman" or "gray man," potentially referring to an individual with gray hair or clothing. The name was initially associated with the Anglo-Norman territory of Grahame in the Scottish Borders region.

In the 12th century, the Graham family rose to prominence when Sir William de Graham received lands in Ayrshire from King David I of Scotland. This established the Grahams as a powerful clan in the region. The name is recorded in various historical documents, including the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which contain the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Graham." This suggests that the name may have originated in England before spreading to Scotland. The Graham family's presence in England is also evidenced by the existence of Graham's Town, a village in Northumberland.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Graham. Sir John Graham of Dundaff (1549-1622) was a prominent Scottish statesman and diplomat during the reigns of James VI and Charles I. James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose (1612-1650), was a renowned Scottish military leader and royalist during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.

John Graham of Claverhouse (1648-1689), better known as "Bluidy Clavers," was a Scottish soldier and nobleman who played a pivotal role in the Killing Times, a period of religious persecution in Scotland. Robert Graham (1786-1845) was a Scottish chemist and physician who made significant contributions to the study of molecular diffusion.

Martha Graham (1894-1991) was an influential American modern dancer and choreographer who revolutionized dance in the 20th century. Her innovative techniques and choreography had a profound impact on the art form.

The Graham surname has evolved over time, with various spelling variations emerging, such as Grahame, Graeme, and Gram. These variations can be traced back to different regions and historical periods. Additionally, the name has been associated with several place names, such as Grahams Town in South Africa and Graham County in Arizona, United States.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Graham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Graham surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Cumberland leads with 3,998 Grahams recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.84x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 3,998 13.84x
Lanarkshire 3,770 3.48x
Lancashire 3,556 0.89x
Durham 3,089 3.10x
Yorkshire 2,658 0.80x
Northumberland 2,134 4.28x
Middlesex 1,609 0.48x
Midlothian 1,146 2.55x
Renfrewshire 1,008 3.88x
Dumfriesshire 1,004 13.55x
Ayrshire 723 2.88x
Stirlingshire 681 5.50x
Surrey 629 0.38x
Ross-shire 611 6.63x
Dunbartonshire 542 6.01x
Fife 514 2.59x
Angus 499 1.61x
Cheshire 482 0.65x
Kent 480 0.42x
Perthshire 421 2.80x
Argyllshire 348 3.73x
Westmorland 300 4.07x
Roxburghshire 247 4.07x
West Lothian 204 4.04x
Hampshire 195 0.28x
Lincolnshire 193 0.36x
Inverness-shire 192 1.92x
Staffordshire 189 0.17x
Warwickshire 178 0.21x
Wigtownshire 164 3.68x
Kirkcudbrightshire 151 3.11x
Sussex 147 0.26x
Essex 143 0.22x
Gloucestershire 137 0.21x
Aberdeenshire 136 0.44x
Devon 134 0.19x
Selkirkshire 125 4.12x
Sutherland 112 4.34x
Derbyshire 104 0.20x
Peeblesshire 99 6.28x
Nottinghamshire 84 0.19x
Berkshire 70 0.28x
Leicestershire 70 0.19x
Worcestershire 69 0.16x
East Lothian 68 1.53x
Clackmannanshire 67 2.42x
Suffolk 57 0.14x
Glamorgan 55 0.09x
Hertfordshire 53 0.23x
Kinross-shire 49 5.78x
Oxfordshire 48 0.23x
Buteshire 45 2.21x
Dorset 40 0.18x
Somerset 40 0.07x
Royal Navy 35 0.88x
Isle of Man 33 0.53x
Cambridgeshire 31 0.15x
Monmouthshire 29 0.12x
Wiltshire 29 0.10x
Caithness 28 0.61x
Channel Islands 27 0.27x
Morayshire 27 0.52x
Bedfordshire 24 0.14x
Norfolk 23 0.04x
Denbighshire 22 0.17x
Berwickshire 21 0.52x
Cornwall 20 0.05x
Northamptonshire 20 0.06x
Orkney 20 0.54x
Buckinghamshire 18 0.09x
Montgomeryshire 13 0.17x
Shropshire 13 0.04x
Flintshire 11 0.12x
Banffshire 10 0.14x
Caernarfonshire 9 0.07x
Kincardineshire 9 0.22x
Merionethshire 9 0.15x
Herefordshire 8 0.06x
Pembrokeshire 6 0.06x
Anglesey 5 0.08x
Huntingdonshire 5 0.08x
Brecknockshire 3 0.04x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.01x
Shetland 2 0.06x
Cardiganshire 1 0.01x
Nairnshire 1 0.10x
Rutland 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 960 Grahams recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.50x.

Place Total Index
Barony 960 3.50x
Govan 815 3.04x
Glasgow 796 4.13x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 482 2.67x
Liverpool 442 1.83x
Bishopwearmouth 332 3.88x
Caldewgate 316 19.97x
Everton 287 2.26x
Gateshead 269 3.60x
Stornoway 266 22.16x
Elswick 255 6.40x
Dundee 252 2.17x
St Cuthbert W O 246 17.48x
West Greenock 207 4.44x
Leeds 200 1.07x
Islington London 195 0.60x
West Derby 189 1.62x
Abbey 184 4.64x
Manchester 177 0.99x
Falkirk 176 6.08x
Blackburn 166 1.57x
Westoe 162 2.86x
Arthuret 158 52.46x
Darlington 154 4.00x
Toxteth Park 148 1.10x
Westgate 145 4.69x
Salford 144 1.23x
South Leith 143 2.83x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 136 3.15x
St Pancras London 133 0.49x
Whitehaven 133 8.64x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 132 4.43x
Kirkintilloch 130 10.62x
Barvas 129 20.97x
Workington 127 7.68x
Camberwell 125 0.58x
Kensington London 123 0.66x
St Marylebone London 123 0.69x
Byker 122 4.95x
Rickergate 119 19.48x
New Monkland 117 3.65x
Bothwell 115 3.91x
Cambusnethan 109 4.52x
Huddersfield 109 2.25x
Bonhill 107 7.40x
Hawick 107 7.87x
Preston 107 1.00x
Annan 106 16.66x
Canonbie 106 33.67x
Kirkdale 103 1.54x
Kendal 101 7.48x
Tynemouth 101 3.78x
Birmingham 98 0.35x
Middlesbrough 98 2.26x
Newcastle On Tyne St 98 3.79x
Cardross 97 8.96x
Stockton On Tees 97 2.02x
Wetheral 96 25.10x
Dalry 94 7.96x
Paisley High Church 94 4.54x
St George Hanover Square 89 1.51x
Kilmarnock 88 2.95x
Paddington London 88 0.71x
Langholm 87 16.34x
Barrow In Furness 86 1.59x
Dunfermline 86 2.82x
Maryhill 86 4.05x
Hulme 85 1.02x
Lambeth 84 0.29x
Birkenhead 83 1.41x
Hamilton 83 2.74x
Allendale 82 17.72x
Crosscanonby 81 8.48x
Liff Benvie 80 1.70x
Preston Quarter 80 9.89x
Bridekirk 78 33.82x
Sheffield 77 0.73x
Eastwood 76 4.75x
St Mary Within 76 21.07x
Rutherglen 74 4.65x
Cummertrees 73 58.12x
Southwick 73 7.72x
Heworth 71 3.61x
Old Monkland 71 1.65x
Nichol Forest 69 94.79x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 67 1.15x
Alston 66 12.40x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Graham surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 1,793
Elizabeth 928
Jane 744
Sarah 644
Margaret 623
Ann 462
Annie 308
Isabella 273
Ellen 254
Hannah 238
Alice 227
Catherine 190
Eliza 169
Emma 160
Agnes 154
Emily 135
Martha 129
Frances 94
Edith 82
Maria 81
Ada 79
Florence 78
Louisa 73
Anne 70
Charlotte 67
Eleanor 67
Esther 63
Harriet 61
Jessie 60
Kate 58
Fanny 56
Clara 51
Janet 51
Caroline 50
Rebecca 47
Susan 47
Dorothy 45
Helen 45
Rose 45
Lucy 41
Susannah 40
Matilda 37
Julia 36
Amelia 34
Ethel 34
Rachel 34
Elizth. 32
Margret 30
Margt. 29
Bridget 28

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Graham surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 1,737
William 1,369
Thomas 843
James 739
George 715
Robert 550
Joseph 492
Henry 263
Charles 246
Edward 200
Richard 176
David 128
Arthur 120
Walter 103
Frederick 101
Alfred 92
Alexander 75
Francis 75
Samuel 73
Andrew 71
Wm. 68
Peter 67
Christopher 66
Albert 64
Thos. 62
Harry 54
Frank 50
Ernest 47
Isaac 45
Michael 45
Herbert 42
Matthew 42
Patrick 41
Tom 41
Edwin 36
Hugh 35
Daniel 31
Geo. 30
Benjamin 27
Fred 26
Stephen 25
Jno. 21
Percy 20
Ralph 20
Robt. 20
Anthony 19
Jonathan 19
Archibald 18
Adam 17
Jas. 15

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Graham households.

FAQ

Graham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Graham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 34,451 people were recorded with the Graham surname. That placed it at #94 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Graham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 59,219 in 2016. That gives Graham a modern rank of #79.

What does the Graham surname mean?

A Scottish surname referring to someone who lived on a gravel homestead or near a gravelly stream.

What does the Graham map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Graham bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.