Graham

Where Graham comes from

The surname derives from Gra(nt)ham, the name of a place in Lincolnshire, from Old English *grand (“gravel”) + hām (“homestead”).
— Wiktionary's entry for Graham
  • 1 syllable
Along the way
  1. 1881
    First appearance
    #866 among boys, 5 babies — the first year at least five got the name.
  2. 1904
    Graham Greene born
    British writer, playwright and literary critic
  3. 1941
    Graham Chapman born
    English actor, comedian and writer
  4. 2025
    Peak, #120
    2,967 babies named Graham — more than any year before or since.
In the dictionary
  • A male given name transferred from the surname.
Namesakes
  • Graham Greene · British writer, playwright and literary critic, 1904–1991
  • Graham Chapman · English actor, comedian and writer, 1941–1989
  • Graham Arnold · Australian association football player and coach, born 1963
  • Graham Greene · Canadian actor, 1952–2025
  • Graham Norton · Irish comedian, actor and television host, born 1963

Sources: the origin note and dictionary entry are quoted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0); the namesakes come from Wikidata (CC0); the milestones are worked out from the SSA record.