Graves (surname)

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Graves is an English surname. In England, it is most common in Lincolnshire, followed by Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cumbria, and East Anglia. It is likely a variant of Grave with an extra -s.

There are three possible origins:
- An occupational name from Middle English greyve/grayve/greve, meaning a steward or local official, borrowed from Old Norse greifi meaning earl or count.
- A locational name from grave meaning "pit" (Old English graef).
- A relationship name from a Norfolk personal name Grevy/Greive, from Old Norse Greifi, meaning "earl" or "count."

The distribution in former Danelaw areas suggests a Scandinavian influence, making the occupational sense (the Norse version of Reeve) the most likely origin.

Genetic lines found among Graves include haplogroups R1b-U106, R1b-P312, I1, and I2, with other lines in E, J, R1a, and Q.