boys' name ★ peaked 2025

Graham

Meaning gravel Gender Boy Rank 2025 #120 Trend ↑ Rising 34%

The surname derives from Gra(nt)ham, the name of a place in Lincolnshire, from Old English *grand (“gravel”) + hām (“homestead”).

Rank 2025
#120
among boys · ↑9 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
2,980
named Graham · +6% vs 2024
How common
1 in 576
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2025
2,980 babies
All-time total
61,671
#442 all-time among boys
First recorded
1881
in Social Security records

Graham popularity over time

61,671 babies have been named Graham since 1881, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.511.5218801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 61 61 6 – #651
1890s – 79 79 8 +30% #567
1900s – 126 126 13 +59% #619
1910s 5 700 705 71 +460% #547
1920s – 1,062 1,062 106 +51% #550
1930s – 1,036 1,036 104 -2% #538
1940s – 963 963 96 -7% #591
1950s – 971 971 97 +1% #678
1960s 6 1,094 1,100 110 +13% #615
1970s – 2,330 2,330 233 +112% #416
1980s 18 4,958 4,976 498 +114% #339
1990s 27 6,006 6,033 603 +21% #352
2000s 29 7,623 7,652 765 +27% #263
2010s 81 19,248 19,329 1,933 +153% #176
2020s (to 2025) 69 15,179 15,248 2,541 +31% #120

Where Graham is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 3,112 1.82 #113
2027 3,241 1.90 #108
2028 3,355 1.96 #105
2029 3,455 2.02 #103
2030 3,543 2.07 #99

Where Graham is most popular

Boys named Graham per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 1.51 per 1,000. Strongest in District of Columbia, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Graham born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
District of Columbia 71 4.81 +218%
North Dakota 80 4.69 +209%
South Dakota 87 4.68 +209%
Wisconsin 456 3.85 +154%
Minnesota 457 3.73 +146%
Nebraska 159 3.66 +141%
Utah 335 3.51 +132%
Maine 66 3.40 +125%
Kansas 233 3.40 +124%
Iowa 231 3.35 +121%
New Hampshire 71 3.20 +111%
Ohio 782 2.95 +95%
Montana 50 2.84 +87%
Indiana 449 2.80 +85%
Missouri 373 2.69 +78%
Rhode Island 43 2.64 +74%
Kentucky 249 2.48 +64%
Michigan 497 2.43 +60%
Louisiana 247 2.41 +59%
Colorado 310 2.40 +59%
Delaware 36 2.37 +57%
Idaho 96 2.35 +55%
Massachusetts 317 2.31 +52%
Oregon 170 2.24 +48%
South Carolina 224 2.17 +43%
Illinois 551 2.16 +42%
Tennessee 386 2.14 +41%
North Carolina 535 2.10 +38%
Oklahoma 181 2.05 +35%
Virginia 387 2.04 +35%
Arkansas 126 1.99 +31%
Maryland 237 1.99 +31%
Connecticut 132 1.95 +29%
Alabama 211 1.93 +27%
West Virginia 63 1.93 +27%
Pennsylvania 449 1.69 +12%
Alaska 19 1.60 +5%
Mississippi 89 1.57 ≈ national
Washington 247 1.51 ≈ national
Georgia 374 1.48 ≈ national
Arizona 201 1.23 -19%
Texas 990 1.12 -26%
New Jersey 216 1.07 -29%
New York 423 0.977 -36%
Florida 455 0.961 -37%
Vermont 6 0.955 -37%
California 617 0.675 -55%
Nevada 38 0.667 -56%
New Mexico 10 0.303 -80%
Hawaii – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Graham

Graham is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #120 in 2025 with 2,967 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1881, 61,671 American babies have been named Graham. Its peak came in 2025, when 2,980 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Graham stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Graham?

The median living Graham is about 12 years old; half are between 5 and 27. An estimated 57 thousand people named Graham are alive in the United States today.

median 12 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Graham year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 13 #8,034 2,967 #120
2024 11 #9,141 2,798 #129
2023 16 #7,046 2,537 #141
2022 12 #8,718 2,401 #155
2021 10 #9,817 2,381 #161
2020 7 #12,615 2,095 #186
2019 7 #12,915 2,156 #180
2018 6 #14,432 2,174 #182
2017 11 #9,542 2,111 #185
2016 13 #8,565 2,247 #179
2015 10 #10,391 2,378 #176
2014 10 #10,424 2,039 #199
2013 8 #12,399 1,883 #203
2012 9 #11,600 1,715 #215
2011 7 #13,858 1,356 #256
2010 – – 1,189 #284
2009 – – 1,328 #263
2008 7 #14,363 1,031 #322
2007 5 #18,599 798 #382
2006 – – 649 #430
2005 – – 670 #408
2004 6 #14,791 617 #423
2003 – – 662 #396
2002 6 #14,203 619 #408
2001 5 #16,206 631 #398
2000 – – 618 #405
1995 6 #12,299 633 #375
1990 5 #13,732 586 #396
1985 6 #9,716 522 #353
1980 6 #9,484 445 #385
1975 – – 233 #527
1970 – – 175 #613
1965 – – 88 #791
1960 – – 94 #792
1955 – – 81 #814
1950 – – 97 #697
1945 – – 78 #686
1940 – – 86 #649
1935 – – 116 #538
1930 – – 102 #607
1925 – – 95 #657
1920 – – 108 #606
1915 5 #4,556 98 #572
1910 – – 26 #559
1905 – – 12 #721
1900 – – 15 #658
1895 – – 14 #567
1890 – – 5 #1,060
1885 – – 5 #997
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Graham

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Graham Greene Graham Greene First Nations actor (1952–2025) Contemporary
  2. 2 Graham Potter Graham Potter English footballer and manager (born 1975) Contemporary
  3. 3 Graham Norton Graham Norton Irish comedian, actor, and television host (born 1963) Contemporary
  4. 4 Graham Greene Graham Greene British writer and playwright (1904–1991) Contemporary
  5. 5 Graham McTavish Graham McTavish Scottish actor (born 1961) Contemporary
  6. 6 Graham Nash Graham Nash British and American musician (born 1942) Contemporary
  7. 7 Graham Hancock Graham Hancock British writer (born 1950) Contemporary
  8. 8 Graham Phillips Graham Phillips American actor and singer (born 1993) Contemporary
  9. 9 Graham Arnold Graham Arnold Australian professional football manager b. 1963 · Contemporary
  10. 10 Graham Rogers American actor b. 1990 · Contemporary
  11. 11 Graham Gouldman Graham Gouldman English musician (born 1946) Contemporary
  12. 12 Graham Bonnet Graham Bonnet English singer b. 1947 · Contemporary
  13. 13 Graham Alexander Graham Alexander Football manager & former player (born 1971) Contemporary
  14. 14 Graham Taylor Graham Taylor English football player, manager and chairman (1944–2017) Contemporary
  15. 15 Graham Rix English footballer (born 1957) Contemporary
  16. 16 Graham Sutherland English artist (1903–1980) Contemporary
  17. 17 Graham Allison Graham Allison American political scientist b. 1940 · Contemporary
  18. 18 Graham Swift Graham Swift English writer (born 1949) Contemporary
  19. 19 Graham Poll Graham Poll English football referee (born 1963) Contemporary
  20. 20 Graham Dorrans Graham Dorrans Scottish footballer (born 1987) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Graham, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Graham?

The median living Graham is about 12 years old. Half of all living Grahams are between 5 and 27 years old.

How many people named Graham are alive today?

An estimated 57 thousand people named Graham are alive in the United States, based on 61,671 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Graham mean?

The surname derives from Gra(nt)ham, the name of a place in Lincolnshire, from Old English *grand (“gravel”) + hām (“homestead”).

How popular is the name Graham in 2025?

Graham ranked #120 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 2,967 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Graham?

61,671 babies have been named Graham in the United States since 1881, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Graham most popular?

Graham peaked in 2025, when 2,980 newborns received the name.

Is Graham a boy or girl name?

Graham is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Graham rising or falling?

Graham is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Graham become more popular?

Graham is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 3,543 boys named Graham in 2030, which would rank around #99. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Graham?

Well-known people named Graham include Graham Greene (actor), Graham Potter (soccer player), Graham Norton (actor).

Names like Graham

Names that sound and feel close to Graham: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Graham with similar names → More names starting with G →