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Gant Family History

Gant Surname Meaning

English (of Norman origin): habitational name from Ghent in Flanders, Belgium. English: from Middle English gaunt, gant ‘slim, slender; drawn, thin and angular’. North German: probably a variant of Gans ‘goose’.

South German: probably a topographic name from Middle High German gant ‘scree’ or a habitational name from a place called with this word (see also Gander). It could also be a metonymic occupational name for an auctioneer from Middle High German gant ‘auction’ (see Ganter).

French: metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of gloves from Old French gant ‘glove’, a word of ancient Germanic origin.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Gant family from?

You can see how Gant families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gant family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gant families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 216 Gant families living in London. This was about 18% of all the recorded Gant's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Gant families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gant surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Gant ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Gant. 12% of Gant men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Gant women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gant were Lorry Driver and Housewife.

View Census Data for Gant | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    12%
  • Farm Labourer
    10%
  • Builders Labourer
    7%
  • Lorry Driver
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%

What Gant family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 75,000 census records available for the last name Gant. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gant census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gant

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Gant. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Gant immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 11,000 military records available for the last name Gant. For the veterans among your Gant ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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