Surname Gräve - Meaning and Origin
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Gräve: What does the surname Gräve mean?
The last name Gräve is of German and Dutch origin and is derived from the German word ‘graef’ which means ‘mine’ or ‘deposit’. It was likely first used as a last name by miners or someone who specifically worked with mines.
There is some evidence that Gräve was also used as an occupational name for someone who worked in some form of government administration or oversee the taxation. Over time, the surname Gräve developed several different spellings due to the way that different dialects and languages were used in different regions.
Gräve may have been adopted by immigrating settlers in the U.S. and Canada. It may be found written as Grave, Graeve, Grieve, Grieves and Greaves.
The Gräve surname has also been popularized in the television show Outlander, where a character called Horrocks Gräve is featured extensively in the plot of one of the episodes.
It is likely that all Gräves around the globe have some form of genealogical link connecting them to the German or Dutch mining and governmental administration.
Order DNA origin analysisGräve: Where does the name Gräve come from?
The last name Gräve is most common today in the northeastern and central areas of Germany, especially in the former East Germany. It is also found in areas of Poland and Lithuania that were formerly part of Germany.
In Germany, Gräve is one of the most common surnames. Changing borders have caused many distinctly German-sounding names to appear in countries like Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine. It is believed that the surname first appeared in East Germany during the 19th century when many pioneers named Graeve settled there. Because of this, the name remains common throughout these countries today.
The first recorded use of the surname Gräve dates back to the 16th century in Bremen, Germany. During this time period, many people used the spelling of Gräve for their last name—which indicates it was a fairly common name. It is also believed to be a slightly more recent variation of the name Graeve, a name with an equally long history.
Gräve is currently listed as the 7,125th most common last name in Germany, with no exact figures for other countries. However, a study conducted in 1996 showed that the name was most prevalent in Germany's East and was the 1,180th most common last name there.
Overall, the last name Gräve is commonly found in Germany, the former East German states, Poland, and Lithuania. It is especially prevalent in the northeastern areas of Germany, as well as in Southwestern Poland and Lithuania. It also has a long history, with the first recorded use of the name dating back to the 16th century in Bremen.
Variations of the surname Gräve
The surname Gräve (sometimes spelled Grave or Graeve) is a German and Dutch patronymic surname derived from the word "graf", which means "count" or "earl". It is commonly found in German-speaking countries and parts of the Netherlands.
The variant spelling Graeve is more common in northern regions and the Netherlands, while Grave is more commonly used in southern Germany. In Switzerland, a variant spelling of the surname is Graf.
In Germany, one of the most common variants of the Gräve surname is Gräf, and it is often spelled with variations such as Graf, Graef, Gräff, Graeff, Graeve, and Graefs. Other regional variants in Germany include Gräffel, Gräfel, Groeve, Gruve, Grafel, Grävin, Griev, Grief, Graeven, Graedt, and Graedd.
In the Netherlands, the Gräve surname has various regional spellings, including Greef, Grief, Greve, Graef, and Greeff. In some cases, the surname has been anglicised to a form more similar to Grave.
The Gräve surname can also be found in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, where it is often spelled Graf or Grof. In Lithuania, it is written as Graeff and in Latvia as Groff or Graf.
The surnames associated with Gräve are Graf, Gräff, Grief, Grof, Grave, Greve, Graef, Greef, Greeff, Grafel, Gräfel, Gräffel, Graeve, Graeden, Graedt, Graeff, Grävin, Griev, and Graedsen.
Famous people with the name Gräve
- Rainer Gräve: German jazz pianist and composer.
- Paul Gräve: German actor, writer and director.
- Wilfried Gräve: German former football player.
- Peter Gräve: German explorer, adventurer and TV presenter.
- Andreas Gräve: German football coach and former player.
- Benjamin Gräve: German lawyer and diplomat.
- Wolfgang Gräve: German art historian and museum director.
- Maria Gräve: German politician, member of the SPD.
- Yvonne Gräve: German sculptor.
- Claudia Gräve: German musician and vocalist.
- Karin Gräve: German artist.
- Günter Gräve: German former football player.
- Anja Gräve: German photographer.
- Katrin Gräve: German journalist and TV presenter.
- Hartmut Gräve: German businessman.
- Anke Gräve: German field hockey player.
- Thoralf Gräve: German politician, member of the AfD.
- Matthias Gräve: German sculptor and painter.
- Anja Gräve-Dahl: German singer and composer.
- Christian Gräve: German political scientist and energy expert.