Surname Grabmaier - Meaning and Origin

Grabmaier: What does the surname Grabmaier mean?

The last name Grabmaier is believed to originate in Germany, and is likely derived from the German word “Graftmaier”, which is an occupational surname for a “grave digger”. This could refer to a public official or a parish employee who was responsible for digging and closing burial plots.

The name Grabmaier is also believed to have come from the Old German “Graf”, which means “count” or “nobleman” and was likely used by nobles to distinguish themselves from the common folk. The prefix maier means “worker” or “skilled tradesman”, so it is possible the name could refer to someone who was a count or nobleman but also held a trade.

It is unclear when the Grabmaier family first adopted the name or when it began being used by various families throughout Europe, but it is believed to date back to at least the 14th century.

Today, the name is still fairly common throughout Europe, especially in Austria and Germany. In modern times, the Grabmaier family has gone on to become doctors, lawyers, artists, scientists, and other professionals, and it is a name of which to be proud.

Grabmaier: Where does the name Grabmaier come from?

The last name Grabmaier is most commonly found in Austria and Germany. It is a German surname derived from the Middle High German word “grabmeier” which means “gravedigger” or “graveyard keeper”. This family name likely originated as an occupational surname, and later became an inherited surname.

This surname is a relatively unusual last name; in 2015, it ranked 22,136 out of 88,799 in the United States and 8,547 out of 88,799 in Germany. Austria ranks as the country with the most Grabmaiers, with an estimated 2,000 individuals in the country sharing this surname. However, this may be due to the fact that the surname is very common in the state of Salzburg, as this region contains the highest number of Grabmaier individuals in whole of Austria.

Due to the mobility of the population, the Grabmaier surname has spread across the world, and can now be found in many other countries, such as Australia, Canada, the United States, England and Ireland. In Australia, around seven thousand people have the surname Grabmaier, making it the 53rd most common surname in the country. The United States has the third most Grabmaier individuals, estimated to be around five thousand.

Additionally, Grabmaier has branched out to new surnames. Variations include Grabmeier, Grabmeyer, Grabmayer, Grabmaierer and Grabmair, just to name a few. Yet, Grabmaier remains the most widespread variant of the surname.

Variations of the surname Grabmaier

Grabmaier is a German surname derived from the old German word ‘grabellen’ meaning to dig. It is a toponymic surname, which means it was often adopted by people who lived near areas such as lakes, streams, or digs.

Variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for Grabmaier include, but are not limited to:

Grablmaier: This is the most popular variant of the name, with a double ‘ll’ instead of the traditional single ‘l’.

Grabmeier: This is a spelling variation with an alternate spelling of ‘ie’ instead of the traditional ‘ei’.

Gräblmaier: The original spelling of the name, which contains an umlaut.

Graebmeier: Another spelling variation, where the ‘l’ has been swapped with a ‘b’.

Grabamier: This is a variant used in the United States, which contains an additional ‘a’.

Grabkanier: This is a variation with an extra ‘kan’ added to the spelling.

Grabisterer: This is an alternate spelling of the name, which was used in late 19th century German newspapers.

Surnames of the same origin as Grabmaier include:

Grabsmaier, Gryblmaier, Greblmayr, Grafmeier, Graffmeier, Grebfmaier, Grapmaier, Kreblmaier, and Krebmaier.

Famous people with the name Grabmaier

• Uwe Grabmaier: Former German football goalkeeper
• Martin Grabmaier: Austrian-born former professional footballer
• Marko Grabmaier: Austrian football manager and former player
• Alfred Grabmaier: Swiss tennis coach
• Leo Grabmaier: Austrian-Frisian figure skater
• Eugenie Grabmaier: American swimmer
• Michaela Grabmaier: Former Austrian alpine ski racer
• Felix Grabmaier: Retired Austrian journalist
• Franz Grabmaier: Austrian professional ice hockey player
• Rose Grabmaier: Austrian pair skater
• Robert Grabmaier: Austrian pair skater

Other surnames

Grabmair