Grable
An English and German-style surname that likely began as a nickname or altered place-based name.
The #9,983 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 95,557 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Grable is probably a surname that developed from a personal nickname or from a place name that was later reshaped in spelling. In English-speaking records it may reflect dialect forms or spelling changes from similar-sounding names such as Grabel, Gribble, or other local variants. In some cases it may also be an Anglicized form of a German surname with a comparable sound, but the exact root is not secure.
History
The surname is relatively uncommon in the United States and appears to have multiple possible lines of development rather than one single, well-documented origin. Like many rare surnames, it may have been stabilized only after families emigrated and clerks recorded the name in the form they heard. The best-known bearer is the American actress Virginia Grey, born Virginia Grable, who later used a stage name variation.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The name is best known today because of actress Betty Grable, whose stage surname became widely famous in the 20th century.