Graves Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Graves last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Graves last name
Meaning of the Graves last name: steward, or dweller by a grove. Graves is an English name with two roots: a steward or manager, from the Middle English greyve, or someone who lived by a grove of trees. It is widespread in England and became well known in America. A curious detail: the name has no link with burial places, despite how it sounds today; the meanings came first and the sound just happened to match.
Arms associated with the Graves name
Arms associated with the Graves name are red with a gold eagle displayed, crowned in silver.
Get your full Graves family history
This is only a glimpse of the Graves story. The full Graves history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Graves coat of arms. Get the full Graves report.
Graves name FAQ
What does the Graves name mean?
Steward, or dweller by a grove. Common variants include Greaves, Grieve, Groves.
Where does the Graves surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Ireland.
Is there a Graves coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Graves coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.