Contents [hide]

Grave History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Grave History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
England
France
Ireland

The ancient Anglo-Saxon surname Grave came from the baptismal name Reeve where as a surname it refers to son of Reeve. In Old English, patronyms were formed by adding a variety of suffixes to personal names, which changed over time and from place to place. For example, after the Norman Conquest, sunu and sune, which meant son, were the most common patronymic suffixes. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the most common patronymic names included the word filius, which meant son. By the 14th century, the suffix son had replaced these earlier versions. Surnames that were formed with filius or son were more common in the north of England and it was here that the number of individuals without surnames was greatest at this time. The surname Grave also referred to manager or overseer as an occupational surname.

Alternatively, the name could have originally been a Norman name descending from Walter de Grava (De la Grave) which was found in Normandy before the Conquest and still there as late as 1198. 1

Early Origins of the Grave family

The surname Grave was first found in Gloucestershire where Osbert de Grava or De la Grave was found in 1203. From this first entry, the Graveses of Mickleton, Gloucester, ancestors of the gallant admiral Lord Graves, and the Baronets Graves-Saule descend. 1

The source "Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum" lists Geoffrey de la Grave, Gloucestershire, (temp. Henry III-Edward I) and the "Placita de Quo Warranto" lists Sibilla de la Grave, Gloucestershire, 20 Edward I (during the 20th year of Edward I's reign.) 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included the following early listings of the family: Edith de la Grava, Oxfordshire; Henry de la Grave, Oxfordshire; Hugh de la Grave, Somerset; and John de la Grave, Wiltshire. 3

"Greaves, which is a characteristic name of the midland counties, has long been a Worcestershire name. The old family of Greves held some position in the county." 4

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed the following as holding lands there at that time: Johannes Grave; Adam Grayf; Johanna Grayf; and Robertus Grayff. 3

Early History of the Grave family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grave research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1600, 1602, 1604, 1605, 1607, 1608, 1612, 1652, 1669, 1673, 1676, 1677, 1680, 1715, 1729, 1784 and 1804 are included under the topic Early Grave History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grave Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Grave has been recorded under many different variations, including Grieves, Grieve, Greve, Greves, Greeves, Greaves, Greave, Griveson, Greaveson, Greavson and many more.

Early Notables of the Grave family

Notables of the family at this time include

Richard Graves the Elder (1677-1729), was an English antiquary, born at Mickleton, Gloucestershire, on 22 April 1677, and was the eldest son of Samuel Graves of Mickleton Manor. His second son, Richar...

Grave Ranking

In France, the name Grave is the 2,813^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,000 - 2,500 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Grave family to Ireland

Some of the Grave family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grave migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Grave or a variant listed above:

Grave Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mrs. Elnor Grave, (Graye), who arrived in Virginia in 1608 aboard the ship "Susan" 6
Mrs. John Grave, Jr., (Graye), who arrived in Virginia in 1608 aboard the ship "Susan" 6
Mrs. John Grave, Jr., (Graye), who arrived in Virginia in 160 aboard the ship "Susan" 6
Mr. George Grave, (Graye), who was aboard the ship "Sea Venture" who wrecked in Bermudas in 1609, they managed to build a new ship to continue to Jamestown in 1610. 6
George Grave settled with his wife Elnor and son, John, aged 10, in Virginia in 1620
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Grave Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mary Grave, who arrived in Virginia in 1705 7
Johannes Grave, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 7
Nicolaus Grave, who landed in America in 1783 7

Grave Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Marg Grave, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 7
Jonathan Grave, who landed in New York in 1827 7
Elis Grave, who arrived in America in 1844 7
Heinrich Grave, aged 22, who landed in Missouri in 1845 7
Joh B Grave, aged 4, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Grave migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Grave Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Bertha Grave, aged 20, who landed in Quebec in 1868
Mathilde Grave, aged 18, who arrived in Quebec in 1868

Grave migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Grave Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Henry Grave, aged 40, who arrived in South Australia in 1847 aboard the ship "Gellert" 8

Grave migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Grave Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Abel Grave, aged 31, a shoemaker, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" in 1842
Sarah Grave, aged 30, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" in 1842
Joseph Summers Grave, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" in 1842
Mr. Abel Grave, (b. 1811), aged 31, British shoemaker travelling from London aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" arriving in Nelson, South Island, New Zealand on 28th October 1842 9
Mrs. Sarah Grave, (b. 1812), aged 30, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" arriving in Nelson, South Island, New Zealand on 28th October 1842 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Grave (post 1700) +

Frederick David Grave (b. 1889), American politician, Delegate to Connecticut convention to ratify 21st amendment at-large, 1933 10
Franz Grave (1932-2022), German Catholic prelate who served as auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Essen from 1988 until his retirement in 2008
Ivan Platonovich Grave (1874-1960), Russian and Soviet scientist in the field of artillery, Major General of the Engineer Corps (1942)
Dmitry Aleksandrovich Grave (1863-1939), Russian and Soviet mathematician
Pierre Marie de Grave, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 11

The Grave Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Spes mea in Deo
Motto Translation: My hope is in God.

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) GELLERT 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847Gellert.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, March 6) Pierre Grave. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html