Explore the Family Name Grant
The meaning of Grant
1. 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. 2. English: from the rare Middle English (and Old English) personal name Grante or Grente. 3. Irish: in Ireland this is usually the Norman Scottish name (see 1 above), but it was also adopted for Irish Mag Raighne, see Graney. 4. French: variant of Grand 1 ‘tall, large’ (see also 1 above). 5. American shortened and altered form of French Lagrandeur: soldier’s name from la grandeur ‘(the) size/height; greatness’. 6. Probably also an altered form of German Grandt or Grand. 7. 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. History: General Ulysses S. Grant (1822–85), the 18th president of the US, was the descendant of a Puritan called Matthew Grant, who landed in Massachusetts with his wife, Priscilla, in 1630. This family of Grants continued in New England until Captain Noah Grant, having served throughout the Revolution, emigrated to PA in 1790 and later to OH. Thomas Grant, another but unrelated Puritan from Rowley (East Yorkshire), was one of the original settlers of Rowley MA in 1638. — Scottish Grants (see 1 above) are in most cases descended from a Norman family from Nottinghamshire. From the 15th to the 20th century the ancestral seat of this family was Castle Grant at Grantown on Spey.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Grant in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Grant has seen a slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Grant was ranked 192nd most popular surname in the United States and by 2010, it had dropped slightly to 196th, a change of -2.08%. However, despite this minor drop in rank, the overall count of individuals bearing the surname Grant has actually increased from 134,034 in 2000 to 142,277 in 2010, reflecting a growth rate of 6.15%. The proportion of Grants per 100,000 individuals also decreased marginally during this period from 49.69 to 48.23, a change of -2.94%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #192 | #196 | -2.08% |
| Count | 134,034 | 142,277 | 6.15% |
| Proportion per 100k | 49.69 | 48.23 | -2.94% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Grant
Observing the ethnic identity associated with the surname Grant, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some interesting trends. In terms of ethnicity, the highest percentage belongs to the White demographic, albeit with a small decrease from 58.25% in 2000 to 55.36% in 2010. The second most common ethnic group associated with this surname is Black, which saw a slight increase from 36.58% to 37.91% over the same period. There was also notable growth within the Hispanic community, increasing from 1.81% in 2000 to 2.79% in 2010, marking a significant 54.14% change. The Asian/Pacific Islander and those identifying with Two or more races groups have also grown, with changes of 26.83% and 24.34% respectively. The American Indian and Alaskan Native representation held relatively steady at just over 1%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 58.25% | 55.36% | -4.96% |
| Black | 36.58% | 37.91% | 3.64% |
| Hispanic | 1.81% | 2.79% | 54.14% |
| Two or More Races | 1.89% | 2.35% | 24.34% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.07% | 1.08% | 0.93% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.41% | 0.52% | 26.83% |
Grant ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Grant is British & Irish, which comprises 50.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (17.6%) and Nigerian (5.5%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Eastern European, Scandinavian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 50.2% |
| French & German | 17.6% |
| Nigerian | 5.5% |
| Other | 26.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Grant
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Grant have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 78.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 77.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 77.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 77.70% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 77.30% |
What Grant haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Grant is R-L21, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L21 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-DF88 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Robinson, Taylor, Walker, Smith, White, Thompson, Brown, Clarke, Mitchell, Wilson.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Grant surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Grant have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Grant" Surname 37.8%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Grant" Surname 28.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Grant" Surname 23.7%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Grant" Surname 16.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Grant?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Grant are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition