The first name Graham
A boy’s name meaning “gravel”, “homestead”.
Pronounced /ɡɹæm/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Graham means “gravel”, “homestead”.
The surname derives from Gra(nt)ham, the name of a place in Lincolnshire, from Old English *grand (“gravel”) + hām (“homestead”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 7 boys were named Graham, making it the 2,952nd most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 70 births (#341).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Graham with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Graham at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 2,967 boys born in the United States were named Graham, the 120th most popular boys’ name that year.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Graham in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Graham in Polish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Graeme
- Grahame
- Gram
Famous people named Graham
119 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Alexander Graham BellCanadian-American scientist inventor of telephone (1847–1922)
- Graham GreeneBritish writer, playwright and literary critic (1904–1991)
- Graham ChapmanEnglish actor, comedian and writer (1941–1989)
- Graham ArnoldAustralian association football player and coach, born 1963
- Graham GreeneCanadian actor (1952–2025)
- Graham PotterEnglish association football player and manager, born 1975
- Graham SutherlandEnglish artist (1903–1980)
- Graham SwiftEnglish writer (born 1949)
- Graham ZusiAmerican soccer player, born 1986
- Graham NashBritish singer, born 1942
- Graham HancockBritish author who promotes pseudoscientific theories, born 1950
- Graham PollEnglish football referee, born 1963
Questions
- What does the name Graham mean?
- Graham means “gravel”, “homestead”.
- How popular is the name Graham?
- In 2025, 7 boys born in England and Wales were named Graham, ranking 2,952nd. Its peak was 1996, with 70 births.
- Is Graham a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 61,671 US babies named Graham since 1880 were boys.
- When was Graham most popular?
- 2025 in the United States, when 2,967 babies were named Graham, its highest rank at 120th.
- How do you pronounce Graham?
- Graham is /ɡɹæm/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Graham?
- Graeme, Grahame and Gram.
- Is Graham also a surname?
- Yes. Graham is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.