Surname Grabherr - Meaning and Origin

Grabherr: What does the surname Grabherr mean?

The last name Grabherr is derived from the German word “graben”, which means “to dig”. This suggests that the original bearers of the name may have been farmers or farmers’ helpers, as digging is an integral part of farming. Alternatively, it could also be derived from the Middle High German word “graber”, which means “grave digger”.

The surname is associated with the Grabherr region which lies in Upper Austria, and is known for its landscape of forests, meadows and streams. The name may be related to the family having originally settled in the region, or perhaps the name Grabherr was once a sign of nobility in the area.

It is not uncommon for surnames in parts of Austria and Germany to be derivatives of professions, locations, or even trees, so the meaning behind the name could be one of these.

Whatever the meaning may have been originally, Grabherr is now a last name that stands out for its distinctive consonants and is associated with strength and the hard-working values of generations before.

Grabherr: Where does the name Grabherr come from?

The surname Grabherr is not present in significant numbers in any one country today. It’s most commonly seen in Germany and Austria, where many contemporary bearers are descendants of immigrants who settled there in the 1500s and 1600s.

Grabherr is also occasionally found in France and the Czech Republic. In Germany, the name is most commonly found in regions around the Black Forest, particularly in the Baden-Württemberg and Bavarian regions. In Austria, Grabherr is still spoken in small numbers in the Alpine regions of Salzburg, Tirol, and Vorarlberg.

Elsewhere in Europe, the surname is mostly found in small numbers among the diaspora descendants of those who left Germany and Austria for parts of Scandinavia, including Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. It also crops up sparsely in countries formerly part of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire such as Croatia, Slovenia, and Hungary.

In the US, Grabherr is virtually non-existent. However, some bearers of the name can be found among the descendants of German and Austrian immigrants who settled in parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Missouri during the 19th century. There are also a few occurrences in Canada, with clusters found in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario.

Variations of the surname Grabherr

Grabherr is an Austrian-German surname that is of noble origin, first seen in Austria in the 14th century. It comes from the German “grab” (grave or tomb) and “herr” (lord). The main variants of the name include Graubharre, Gräber, Gräbner, Gräbauer, Gräferer, Grabenweger, Gräfling, Grathauer, Graevner, Graahue and Graeuber.

In Austria, regionally-based variants of the name include Graberrer, Graffern, Grabhofen, Grabmayr, and Grafling. In the Bavarian region, spellings include Gorahue, Gorbaa and Grabsacker. In the Silesian region of Germany, variants of the name include Graa, Grabbaum, and Grabl.

In the US, Grabherr is most commonly found with spellings Graebner, Graeber, Graeberr, and Graehner. Canadian variants include Grann, Graber, Gräbner, and Graehner.

In short, variants, spellings and surnames of Grabherr include Graberrer, Graffern, Grabhofen, Grabmayr, Grathauer, Graevner, Gräfling, Graahue, Graeuber, Gorahue, Gorbaa, Grabsacker, Graa, Grabbaum, Graebner, Graeber, Graeberr, Graehner, Grann, Graber and Gräbner.

Famous people with the name Grabherr

• Rudolf Grabherr: a renowned Austrian architect who taught and lectured at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
• Trudy Grabherr: an American character actress best known for her work on the soap opera Loving
• Edwin J. Grabherr: an Austrian-Swiss tulip collector who wrote and published books on the subject
• Mark Grabherr: a former Austrian child actor
• Alexander Grabherr: a German cinematographer who has won awards for his work
• Till Grabherr: an Austrian film and theater actor
• Ingrid Grabherr: an Austrian former Paralympic alpine skier
• Kurt Grabherr: an Austrian sculptor and ceramic artist
• Christine Letz Grabherr: a Swiss opera and concert singer
• Bernard A. Grabherr: an American professional golfer
• Franz Grabherr: a German physicist who specialized in coding theory
• Herbert Grabherr: an Austrian flutist and was part of the Vienna Philharmonic
• Peter Grabherr: an Austrian painter and sculptor
• Dieter Grabherr: a Swiss former Olympic skier
• Markus Grabherr: an Austrian former football player
• Antonius Grabherr: an Austrian former Olympic ice hockey player
• Stefan Grabherr: a German soccer coach
• Ferdinand Grabherr: an Austrian former Olympic tennis player

Other surnames

Grabher