boy's name
Graham
GRAY-um
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 75,424
the United States
#120
2025 births
Graham is a boy's name of English origin meaning "gravelly homestead," from Grantham in Lincolnshire. Despite being one of the most Scottish-sounding surnames, it began as an English place name carried north in the twelfth century.
- Graham is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 2,980 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,113 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1881.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Graham over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 61 |
| 1890s | 79 |
| 1900s | 126 |
| 1910s | 705 |
| 1920s | 1,062 |
| 1930s | 1,036 |
| 1940s | 963 |
| 1950s | 971 |
| 1960s | 1,100 |
| 1970s | 2,330 |
| 1980s | 4,976 |
| 1990s | 6,033 |
| 2000s | 7,652 |
| 2010s | 19,329 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 15,248 |
What Graham means
Graham means the gravel or gravelly farmstead, from Old English elements. Its Scottish identity is entirely acquired — the name is English in origin and became Scottish through one family's migration.
Where Graham comes from
Graham derives from Grantham in Lincolnshire, recorded in the Domesday Book as Grantham and Graham, generally analyzed as a personal name or a word for gravel plus ham, a homestead. William de Graham, an Anglo-Norman, moved north in the twelfth century under David I of Scotland and received lands there, and his descendants became Clan Graham — one of the most prominent Scottish families, producing the Marquess of Montrose and Viscount Dundee. So a Lincolnshire village name became a Highland clan. The name moved to first-name use in the nineteenth century, and Graham Bell, Graham Greene and the cracker named after Sylvester Graham are among its bearers.
Graham in use
One of Scotland's great clan names comes from a village in Lincolnshire.
How popular is Graham?
In 2025, Graham was given to 2,980 babies in the United States, ranking #120 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Graham is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Graham
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Graham also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Graham over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Graham
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Graham in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Graham
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Graham — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Graham
What does the name Graham mean?
Graham means "gravelly homestead," from Grantham in Lincolnshire.
Is Graham a Scottish name?
It became one — an Anglo-Norman named William de Graham moved north in the twelfth century and founded Clan Graham.
What is the difference between Graham and Graeme?
Graeme is the Scottish spelling variant; both descend from the same English place name.
How popular is the name Graham?
In 2025, Graham was given to 2,980 babies in the United States, ranking #120 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Graham a girl's or a boy's name?
Graham is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Graham?
Graham has 2 syllables.
When was Graham most popular?
Graham peaked in 2025, when 2,980 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Graham?
Graham is usually shortened to Gray.
Is Graham a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Graham currently ranks #120 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.