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Graham Family History

Graham Surname Meaning

Scottish: habitational name from Grantham in Lincolnshire recorded in Domesday Book as Graham (as well as Grantham, Grandham, and Granham). See also Grantham.

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).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Graham family from?

You can see how Graham families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Graham family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Graham families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 395 Graham families living in Pennsylvania. This was about 18% of all the recorded Graham's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Graham families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Graham surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Graham ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Graham. 15% of Graham men worked as a Laborer and 6% of Graham women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Graham were Truck Driver and Housewife.

View Census Data for Graham | 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 1940

  • Laborer
    15%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    6%
  • Maid
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Housewife
    6%

What Graham family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Graham. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Graham census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Graham

Passenger Lists

There are 210,000 immigration records available for the last name Graham. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Graham immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 251,000 military records available for the last name Graham. For the veterans among your Graham ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Graham military records

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