The Grant surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 142,277 people carried this name — #196 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 2,070 people counted. That is up 6% from 134,034 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Grant surname
An English surname transferred from the nickname and a Scottish clan name, from a nickname meaning "large".
From Scottish Gaelic Grannd, from Anglo-Norman graunt (“big, large”), from Old French grant, from Latin grandis. The dollar-bill sense is from the portrait of Ulysses S. Grant featured on it.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Grant» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 77 births for the Grant name in 1890.
They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 3,400 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim and Donegal.”
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 429 people named Grant live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 145 people named Grant.
Most of them — 85 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 21 départements, most often Haute-Vienne.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
117 people named Grant live in Switzerland.
They live in 15 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Geneva.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Poland’s population register
62 people named Grant have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 164 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 13 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Masovian.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 26 people named Grant live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Antwerp.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In the Nordic population registers
233 people named Grant are counted in Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Grant in American newspapers,
1868–1922.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 7,042,198 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Grant,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Francis Grant 1658–1726 · judge -
Charles Grant 1746–1823 · politician -
Anne Grant 1755–1838 · writer -
Charles Grant, 1st Baron Glenelg 1778–1866 · politician -
Robert Grant 1779–1838 · writer
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 137 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Grant.
- Graner 724 · U.S. census
- Granet 132 · U.S. census
- Grange 1,569 · U.S. census
- Granger 17,539 · U.S. census
- Granier 1,288 · U.S. census
- Granson 151 · U.S. census
- Granville 2,608 · U.S. census
- Grappe 170 · U.S. census
- Grappin 132 · U.S. census
- Gras 650 · U.S. census
- Grass 4,567 · U.S. census
- Grasse 548 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Grant is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.