Graber History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Israel

Etymology of Graber

What does the name Graber mean?

Two of the most common types of Jewish family names are patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. Another very common tradition for adopting surnames in Medieval Europe was to assume a surname that clearly illustrated the occupation of its bearer. The surname Graber is such an occupational name. Although, today, the word means 'gravedigger' in German, it was once used to indicate that its bearer was an engraver of seals, a highly regarded occupation in the Middle Ages. The German root of this name is "graben," meaning 'to dig' or 'excavate'; such a process is required to make the stamp for seals.

Graber Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Graber, Grabert, Grabner, Gräber, Grebert, Graberman and many more.

Graber Ranking

the United States, the name Graber is the 5,546^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Graber migration to the United States +

Graber Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Hans Graber, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 2
Johannes Graber, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 2
Emanuel Graber, who arrived in Carolina in 1752 2
Henry Graber, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1761 2
Philip Graber, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1762 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Graber Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Johann Graber, who landed in New York, NY in 1874 2
Jacob Graber, aged 18, who landed in New York, NY in 1874 2
Johan Graber, aged 18, who landed in New York, NY in 1874 2
Josef Graber, aged 22, who landed in New York, NY in 1874 2
Joseph Graber, aged 15, who arrived in New York, NY in 1874 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Graber Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Gottfried Graber, who arrived in Chile in 1906 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Graber (post 1700) +

Martin L. Graber (1952-2025), American politician for Iowa
Vincent J. Graber Sr. (1931-2014), American politician, Member of the New York State Assembly (1974-1992)
Travis Graber, American football coach in the United States
Richard W. Graber, former United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic
Rodney Blaine Graber (b. 1930), former American Major League Baseball center fielder
Susan Pia Graber (b. 1949), American attorney and jurist, circuit judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Doug Graber (b. 1944), retired American football coach
Rick Graber, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Wisconsin, 2004 3
Nicholas Graber, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1888 4
... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html