Graham is a masculine (and, to a lesser extent, feminine) given name in the English language. It is derived from the surname. The variant form Graeme can also be pronounced .
Origins The surname Graham is an Anglo-French form of the name of the town of Grantham, in Lincolnshire, England. The settlement is recorded in the 11th century Domesday Book variously as Grantham, Grandham, Granham and Graham. This place name is thought to be derived from the Old English elements grand, possibly meaning "gravel", and ham, meaning "hamlet" the English word given to small settlements of smaller size than villages.
Variants and use In the 12th century the surname was taken from England to Scotland by Sir William de Graham, who founded Clan Graham. Variant spellings of the forename are Grahame and Graeme. The forename Graham is considered to be an English and Scottish given name. Its origin as a surname has led to its occasional use as a female given name, as for example in the case of Graham Cockburn, a daughter of Henry Cockburn, Lord Cockburn.
Notable people
A Graham Abbey (born 1971), Canadian actor Graham Abel (born 1960), English footballer Graham Ackerman (born 1983), American gymnast Graham Adams (1933–2020), English football player and coach Graham Addley (born 1963), Canadian politician Graham Agassiz (born 1990), Canadian mountain biker Graham Alexander (born 1971), English football manager and player Graham Alexander (born 1989), American singer-songwriter, entertainer and entrepreneur Graham Allan (1936–2007), English mathematician Graham Allen (disambiguation), multiple people Graham Allison (born 1940), American political scientist Graham Allner (born 1949), English football player and manager Graham Anderson (1929–2012), British-born Canadian heraldic scholar and officer of arms Graham Annable (born 1970), Canadian cartoonist and animator Graham Annesley (born 1957), Australian politician Graham Anthony (born 1975), English footballer Graham Anthony Devine (born 1971), English classical guitarist Graham Appo (born 1974), Indigenous Australian rugby league footballer Graham Arader, American art dealer Graham Archell (born 1950), English footballer Graham Armitage (1936–1999), English actor Graham Armstrong (1918–1960), American football player Graham Arnold (born 1963), Australian soccer manager Graham Arnold (artist) (1932–2019), English artist Graham Arthur (1936–2021), Australian rules footballer Graham Arthur Barden (1896–1967), American politician Graham Ashcraft (born 1998), American baseball player Graham Ashton (born 1962), Australian police officer Graham Ashton (trumpeter), British-born naturalized American trumpeter and composer Graham Astley (born 1957), Australian cricketer Graham Atkinson (1943–2017), English footballer Graham Atkinson (cricketer) (1938–2015), English cricketer Graham Avery (1929–2015), New Zealand racing cyclist Graham Ayliffe (1926–2017), British medical microbiologist
B Graham Badari (born 1963), Aboriginal Australian artist Graham Bagnall (1912–1986), New Zealand librarian, bibliographer and historian Graham Bailey (disambiguation), multiple people Graham Baker (disambiguation), multiple people Graham Balcombe (1907–2000), English cave diver Graham Baldwin (born c. 1954), British anti-cult activist Graham Balfour (1858–1929), English educationalist and author Graham Ball (disambiguation), multiple people Graham Bamford (born 1944), Australian rules footballer Graham Basanti (born 1950), Indian priest Graham Bassett (born 1964), English footballer Graham Barber (born 1958), English football referee Graham Barham (born 1998), American country singer-songwriter Graham Barlow (born 1950), English cricketer Graham Barnett (disambiguation), multiple people Graham Barnfield (born 1969), British academic and pundit Graham Barrett (born 1981), Irish footballer Graham Barrow (born 1954), English footballer Graham Barton (born 2002), American football player Graham Bayne (born 1979), Scottish footballer Graham Beale (born 1958), British businessman Graham Bean (born 1961), English police officer Graham Beck (1929–2010), South African business magnate, winemaker, stud farmer and philanthropist Graham Beckel (born 1949), American character actor Graham Beech (1924–1993), English rower Graham Beighton (born 1939), English footballer Graham Bell (disambiguation), multiple people Graham Bencini (born 1976), Maltese footballer Graham Bendel, British writer and filmmaker Graham Bennett (disambiguation), multiple people Graham Bensinger (born 1986), American journalist and entrepreneur Graham Benstead (born 1963), English footballer Graham Bent (1945–2002), Welsh footballer Graham Benton, British indoor rower Graham Beresford Parkinson (1896–1979), New Zealand soldier Graham Berry (1822–1904), Australian politician Graham Betchart (born 1978), American mental skills coach Graham Bickley (born 1958), English actor and singer Graham Bidstrup (born 1950), Australian musician, songwriter, music producer and talent manager Graham Biehl (born 1986), American sailor Graham Billing (1936–2001), New Zealand novelist, journalist and poet Graham Binns, British Army officer Graham Bird (1930–2021), British philosopher Graham Birkett (born 1954), Scottish rugby union player Graham Birks (born 1942), English footballer Graham Bizzell (1941–2014), Australian cricketer Graham Bladon (1899–1967), British air officer Graham Black (1924–2007), Australian cricketer Graham Blackall, American blogger Graham Blakeway, British rugby league footballer Graham Blanks, (born 2002), American long-distance runner Graham Bleathman (born 1959), British artist Graham Blyth (born 1948), English audio engineer Graham Boal (1943–2022), British judge and author Graham Boase (born 1941), Australian triple jumper Graham Boettcher (born 1973), American art curator Graham Bond (disambiguation), multiple people Graham Bonnet (born 1947), English rock singer Graham Bonney (born 1943), British singer-songwriter Graham Booth (1940–2011), British politician Graham Borrack (born 1937), Australian rules footballer Graham Botting (1915–2007), New Zealand cricket and hockey player Graham Bowman (born 1993), Scottish footballer Graham Boyce (born 1945), British diplomat Graham Boynton, British journalist, consultant, travel writer and editor Graham Bradley, horse racer Graham Brady (born 1967), British politician Graham Branch (born 1972), English footballer Graham Brandt (1947–2011), Australian rules footballer Graham Bray (born 1953), English rugby league footballer Graham Brazier (1952–2015), New Zealand musician and songwriter Graham Bressington (born 1966), English footballer Graham Briggs (born 1983), British road racing cyclist Graham Bright (born 1942), British politician and businessman Graham Brightwell, British mathematician Graham Broad (born 1957), English drummer Graham Broadbent, British film and television producer Graham Brody (born 1993), Gaelic footballer Graham Brookhouse (born 1962), British modern pentathlete Graham Brown (disambiguation), multiple people Graham Bruce (born 1952), Canadian politician Graham Buckley (born 1963), Scottish footballer Graham Budd (born 1968), British paleontologist Graham Budgett (born 1954), British-American conceptual artist Graham Buist (born 1936), New Zealand cricketer Graham Bunyard (1939–2018), South African cricketer Graham Burgess (born 1968), English chess player, trainer and writer Graham Burgess (cricketer) (born 1943), English cricketer Graham Burgin (born 1948), Australian rules footballer Graham Burke (born 1993), Irish footballer Graham Burkett (1936–2014), Australian politician Graham Burnett (born 1965), New Zealand cricketer Graham Burns (born 1966), British canoeist Graham Butcher (born 1981), English cricketer Graham Bux (born 1957), Australian rules footballer
C Graham Cairns (born 1971), British author and academic Graham Cairns-Smith (1931–2016), organic chemist and molecular biologist Graham Callanan (born 1982), Irish hurler Graham Calder (born c. 1981), Scottish rugby union player Graham Calder Mullen (born 1940), American judge Graham Calverley (born 1943), Australian rules footballer Graham Campbell (disambiguation), multiple people Graham Candy (born 1991), New Zealand singer-songwriter Graham Cantwell (born 1974), Irish film and television director Graham Canty (born 1980), Irish Gaelic footballer Graham Capill (born 1959), New Zealand Christian leader, politician and convicted rapist Graham Carey (born 1989), Irish footballer Graham Carr (born 1944), English football player, manager and scout Graham Caulfield (born 1943), English footballer Graham Cawthorne (born 1958), English footballer Graham Chadwick (1923–2007), British missionary Graham Chadwick (footballer) (born 1942), English footballer Graham H. Chapin (1799–1843), American lawyer and politician Graham Chapman (1941–1989), British actor, comedian and writer Graham Charles Wood (1934–2016), English corrosion scientist Graham Charlesworth (born 1965), English cricketer Graham Chidgey (born 1937), English cricketer Graham Chipchase (born 1963), British businessman Graham Chittenden, Canadian standup comedian and television writer Graham Clark (disambiguation), multiple people Graham Clive Watts (born 1956), British executive and fencer Graham Cluley (born 1969), British security blogger and author Graham Coaker (1932–1971), British engineer and businessman Graham Colclough (1883–1954), Australian rules footballer Graham Colditz (born 1954), Australian chronic disease epidemiologist Graham Coldrick (1945–2022), Welsh footballer Graham Cole (born 1952), English actor Graham Collier (1937–2011), English jazz bassist, bandleader and composer Graham Collier (footballer) (born 1951), English footballer Graham Collingridge (born 1955), British neuroscientist Graham Colton (born 1981), American singer-songwriter Graham Condon (1949–2007), New Zealand disabled athlete Graham Connah (1934–2023), British-born archaeologist Graham Connell (born 1974), Scottish footballer Graham Cook (1893–1916), New Zealand soldier and rugby league footballer Graham Cooke, British clinical scientist Graham Coop (born 1979), British-American population geneticist Graham Cooper (disambiguation), multiple people Graham Cormack, Scottish curler Graham Cornes (born 1948), Australian rules footballer Graham Cottrell (born 1945), English cricketer Graham Coughlan (born 1974), Irish football manager Graham Coughtry (1931–1999), Canadian painter Graham Cowan (1940–2011), New Zealand cricketer Graham Cowdrey (1964–2020), English cricketer Graham Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Graham Coxon (born 1969), English musician Graham Cumming (born 1941), Rhodesian field hockey player Graham Cummins (born 1987), Irish footballer Graham Cutts (1884–1958), British film director
D Graham Dadds (1911–1980), British field hockey player Graham Dale (born 1978), Irish-American marine, network engineer and writer Graham Daniels (born 1962), English footballer Graham Davidge, Australian musician Graham Davies (1921–2003), Welsh footballer Graham Davis (born 1953), Fijian-born Australian journalist Graham Davis (racing driver), British auto racing driver Graham Davy (1936–2018), New Zealand athlete and sports administrator Graham Dawbarn (1893–1976), British architect Graham Dawe (born 1959), English rugby union footballer and coach Graham Day (born 1933), British-Canadian business executive, lawyer and corporate director Graham Day (1953–2021), English footballer Graham Deakin (born c. 1950), English rock drummer Graham Deakin (footballer) (born 1987), English footballer Graham Dee (born 1943), English musician Graham DeLaet (born 1982), Canadian golfer Graham Delbridge (1917–1980), Australian bishop Graham Dempster (born 1955), Australian rules footballer Graham Dene (born 1949), British radio personality Graham Deuble (born 1943), Australian diver Graham Dewes (born 1982), Fijian rugby union player