The Grantham surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 10,379 people carried this name — #3,440 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 28,400 people counted. That is up 2% from 10,139 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Grantham surname

A habitational surname from Old English.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Grantham» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Grantham’.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 333 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

21 families named Grantham, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 103 people lived in those households, 4.9 to a family on average. The table counts it together with one other spelling. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

North Carolina 16
Virginia 4
Pennsylvania 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 242 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Grantham in American newspapers,
1898–1914.

Newspaper page from Goldsboro Weekly Argus carrying the name Grantham
Goldsboro Weekly Argus 1898-12-22
Newspaper page from The Leader-enterprise carrying the name Grantham
The Leader-enterprise 1912-07-16
Newspaper page from Goldsboro Weekly Argus carrying the name Grantham
Goldsboro Weekly Argus 1914-04-09

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 43,739 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Grantham in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

13,580 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Grantham. The most, 3,054, date from the 1900s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 4,676
New South Wales 4,263
Queensland 1,662
South Australia 1,487
Western Australia 710
Tasmania 652
ACT (Canberra) 93
Northern Territory 29

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Grantham.

Who carried it

People named Grantham,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Thomas Grantham
    Thomas Grantham 1634–1692 · theologian
  • Joseph Grantham d. 1830 · police officer
  • Susannah Grantham d. 1939
  • Beatrice Grantham d. 1945
  • Vincent Grantham 1401–1550 · politician
  • Thomas Grantham 1520–1558 · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Grantham,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States657 records

657 records of the Grantham name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 408
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 133
  • Other U.S. records 116
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Andrew R. Grantham

    Born 1913 in Arizona. Enlisted 1943 at Phoenix; animal from Gila County. U.S. Army veteran; died 2000, buried at Tonto Basin Cemetery, Payson, Arizona.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Ely Grantham

    Born 1932; from Magee, Mississippi. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1970 in Kien Hoa, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Elizabeth Grantham

    Arrived at New York in 1884 aboard the Italy from London, aged 54. From London, England; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 657 records for Grantham in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia234 records

234 records of the Grantham name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 136
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 36
  • Other Australian records 62
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Sophia Grantham

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Rajah, sailing from London in 1841. Native of Altrincham, Cheshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1845.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record George Grantham

    Arrived in Victoria in 1856 aboard the Mermaid, aged 49; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Thomas B. Grantham

    Gentleman of Toorak, Victoria; died 1945.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 234 records for Grantham in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada61 records

61 records of the Grantham name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 30
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 20
  • Other Canadian records 11
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Grantham

    Came to Ontario in 1870 aboard the Nestorian, landing at Quebec, bound for Bradford, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Frederick William Grantham

    Died 1993, aged 59; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Caroline Maude Grantham

    Died 1970 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 62.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 61 records for Grantham in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom16 records

16 records of the Grantham name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 15
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Sarah Grantham

    Buried in 1828 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 76.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. Grantham

    Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record E. S. Grantham

    Somerset Light Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 16 records for Grantham in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand10 records

10 records of the Grantham name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jack Powell Grantham

    Died 1936, aged 36; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Helen Agnes Grantham

    Died 1895, aged 30; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Rhoda Rosina Grantham

    Died 1883, aged 25; buried at Lyttelton Anglican Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 10 records for Grantham in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands10 records

10 records of the Grantham name in the Netherlands Dutch church registers before 1811
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Johannes Grantham

    Baptised in Amsterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Anna Grantham

    Baptised in 1752 in Amsterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Helena Grantham

    Baptised in Amsterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 10 records for Grantham in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Grantham.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Grantham 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.

See the Grantham volume
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