Graves Family History

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Graves Name Meaning

English: patronymic from Grave 1. French: topographic name from the plural of Old French grave ‘gravel’ (see Grave).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Grave, Graver, Draves, Graven, Grapes, Greaves, Gates, Grover

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Graves Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Graves name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Graves. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    51%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    17%

  • Germanic Europe

    7%

  • Cameroon, Congo, & Southern Bantu Peoples

    4%

  • Benin/Togo

    3%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Graves Family Origin

Where is the Graves family from?

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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 the USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 228 Graves families living in Ontario. This was about 33% of all the recorded Graves's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Graves families in 1911.
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.

View Census Data for Graves

Graves Family Occupations

What did your Graves ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, Farmer, Fisherman and Servant were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Graves. The most common Graves occupation in Canada was Farmer. 34% of Graves's were Farmers. A less common occupation for the Graves family was Labourer.

View Census data for Graves | Data not to scale

  • Farmer

    34%

  • Fisherman

    6%

  • Servant

    6%

  • Labourer

    4%

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Graves ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Graves Historical Records

What Graves family records will you find?

Census Record

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 1881 Canadian census records for Graves

Passenger List

There are 36,000 immigration records available for the last name Graves. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Graves immigration records

Draft Card

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

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Graves Life Expectancy

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.

Famous Graves Family Ancestors

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