Graf History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
Germany

Graf Ranking

In the United States, the name Graf is the 2,545^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Graf is ranked the 7,602^nd most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 2

Graf migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Graf Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Philip Leonhardt Graf, who, with his wife and five children, who settled in America in 1709
Catharina Graf, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1744 3
Katharina Graf, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1744 3
Georg Graf, who arrived in Pennsylvania between 1743-1746
Hans Adam Graf, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1747 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Graf Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Fred William Graf, aged 22, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1807 3
Elise Graf, who arrived in North America in 1832-1849 3
Frederick Graf, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1836 3
Ferdinand Graf, aged 25, who arrived in Missouri in 1841 3
Martin Graf, aged 40, who arrived in Missouri in 1841 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Graf Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Maria Graf, aged 14, who landed in New York, NY in 1902 3
Lydia Graf, aged 4, who landed in New York, NY in 1902 3
Johannes Graf, aged 15, who landed in New York, NY in 1902 3
Martha Graf, aged 3, who landed in New York, NY in 1902 3
Mathilda Graf, aged 2, who arrived in New York, NY in 1902 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Graf migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Graf Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Hans Graf, born in Switzerland in 1661 fled Switzerland for Alsace due to religious persecution, before settling in Canada, via Pennsylvania around 1717

Graf Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Johann Graf, who landed in Quebec in 1850

Contemporary Notables of the name Graf (post 1700) +

Allan Graf, American 2nd unit director/stunt coordinator
Alesia Graf (1980-2024), born Alesia-Tamara Klimovich, Belarusian-born German professional boxer
Hermann Graf, German fighter pilot and flying ace in the Luftwaffe, during World War II, credited with 212 aerial victories, awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Peter Graf (1938-2013), German tennis coach and manager, father of Steffi Graf
Steffi Graf (b. 1969), German top-ranking tennis champion and Wimbledon champion
Oskar Maria Graf (1894-1967), German author
Arturo Graf (1848-1913), Italian poet of German extraction
Dominik Graf (b. 1952), German film director from Munich, Bavaria
Ferdinand Graf Bubna von Littitz (1768-1825), Lieutenant Field Marshal of the Austrian Empire during the Napoleonic Wars
Adam Graf Tarnowski (1866-1946), Austro-Hungarian diplomat of Polish origin

Historic Events for the Graf family +

Bismarck

Wilhelm Gräf (1915-1975), German Maschinenmaat serving aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he survived the sinking 4
Heinrich Graf (1920-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 4

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details