Gran Surname History

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Dalriada, in ancient Scotland, is where the name Gran evolved. It was a name for someone who lived on the island of Jura in the Inner Hebrides. The name is derived from Gaelic Mac Crain. 1

Early Origins of the Gran family

The surname Gran was first found in the islands of Jura and Islay, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Gran family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gran research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1625, 1649, 1856 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Gran History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gran Spelling Variations

Medieval translation of Gaelic names could not be referred to as an accurate process. Spelling was not yet standardized, and names in documents from that era are riddled with spelling variations. Gran has been written as MacCraney, Craney, Crainey, MacCrain, McCranie, MacCranny, MacCranne, MacCranney, MacCrayne and many more.

Early Notables of the Gran family

More information is included under the topic Early Gran Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gran Ranking

In the United States, the name Gran is the 16,148^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Gran family to Ireland

Some of the Gran family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gran migration to the United States +

Descendents of Dalriadan-Scottish families still populate many communities across North America. They are particularly common in Canada, since many went north as United Empire Loyalists at the time of the American War of Independence. Much later, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the highland games and Clan societies that now dot North America sprang up, allowing many Scots to recover their lost national heritage. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Gran, or a variant listed above:

Gran Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Gerlach Gran, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1764 3

Gran Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

G Gran, who arrived in North America in 1832-1849 3
Juan Gran, aged 33, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1842 3
Aqueda Gran, aged 8, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1847 3
Esperarza Gran, aged 6, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1847 3
J M Gran, aged 42, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1850 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Gran (post 1700) +

Michelle Gran, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Montana, 1988 4
Arlene Gran, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Montana, 1988 4

Historic Events for the Gran family +

Bismarck

Paul Gran (1919-1957), German Verwaltungsgefreiter serving aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he survived the sinking 5

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details