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Grant Family History

Grant Surname Meaning

Irish English and especially Scottish (of Norman origin): nickname from Anglo-Norman French graund graunt ‘tall large’ (Old French grand grant from Latin grandis) given either to a person of remarkable size or else in a relative way to distinguish two bearers of the same personal name often representatives of different generations within the same family.

English: from the rare Middle English (and Old English) personal name Grante or Grente. Irish: in Ireland this is usually the Norman Scottish name (see 1 above) but it was also adopted for Irish Mag Raighne see Graney.

French: variant of Grand 1 ‘tall large’ (see also 1 above). American shortened and altered form of French Lagrandeur: soldier's name from la grandeur ‘(the) size/height; greatness’.

Probably also an altered form of German Grandt or Grand. African American: adoption of the surname in 1 above in honor of Ulysses S. Grant a general commanding the US Army in winning the American Civil War who later served as the 18th president of the US.

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


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Where is the Grant family from?

You can see how Grant families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Grant family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Grant families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 2,931 Grant families living in London. This was about 19% of all the recorded Grant's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Grant families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Grant 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 Grant 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 Grant. 6% of Grant men worked as a General Labourer and 65% of Grant women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Grant were Bricklayer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Grant | 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
    6%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Bricklayer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    65%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%

What Grant family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Grant. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Grant census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Grant

Passenger Lists

There are 202,000 immigration records available for the last name Grant. 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 Grant immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 191,000 military records available for the last name Grant. For the veterans among your Grant ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Grant lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Grant life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Grant in 1940 was 42, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Grant

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Grant ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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