A 1880s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Graves since 1887
Babies named Graves per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2024, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Graves's real moment was 1887.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 5 |
| 1890s | 0 |
| 1900s | 0 |
| 1910s | 28 |
| 1920s | 27 |
| 1930s | 11 |
| 1940s | 0 |
| 1950s | 0 |
| 1960s | 10 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 6 |
| 2020s | 38 |
Meaning & origin
Graves is an uncommon English given name derived from a surname, first recorded in the U.S. in 1887. Its popularity has always been low, though its trajectory shows a rising trend since 2018. In 2025, the name ranked 12,008th overall, with roughly 1 in 341,615 newborns receiving it. The peak year of recorded use remains 1887, its debut year. The name is overwhelmingly given to boys and has no strong regional concentration within the U.S. Its etymological connection to burial sites may give it a dark, gothic appeal for some parents.
Graves is primarily an English surname transferred to use as a given name. The surname itself has multiple possible origins: it may be a topographic name for someone who lived near a grave or burial mound, derived from Old English 'græf'. Alternatively, it could be a habitational name from places named Graves or a variant of the English name 'Grove'. As a first name, it remains rare and has not received widespread usage.
Sibling names for Graves
Names that share Graves's style, for a brother or sister.
