Contents [hide]

Grand History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Grand History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
Scotland
Ireland

Despite claims to the contrary there is evidence that the surname claims descent from the Grants or Grands of Grand Court in St. Michel du Treport, and were the Counts of Eu. Recognizing that the Norman history does not necessarily conflict and remembering that the Normans were overrun by the Vikings in the 9th century the name Grant is still correctly interpreted as the Norman "Grand" meaning "Big" or Eminent."

Early Origins of the Grand family

The surname Grand was first found in Inverness-shire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Nis) divided between the present day Scottish Council Areas of Highland and Western Isles, and consisting of a large northern mainland area and various island areas off the west coast, the shire was anciently both a Pictish and Norwegian stronghold, where they held a family seat at Strathspey from very early times.

The earliest records of the name were found in the county of Inverness (in the modern Highland and Western Isles regions). One of the first listings of the Grant family in Scotland is that of Thomas Grant, a merchant of the king of Scotland who was deposed from his position as visor of York Castle on January 2, 1252. Later Lawrence and Robert Grant were witnesses at Inverness in 1258. Sir Laurence Grant was sheriff of Inverness in 1266.

John le Graunt was taken prisoner at Dunbar in 1297 and was held at Gloucester Castle. Maurice Grant was sheriff of Inverness in 1330. Richard le Grant (also known as Richard Grant) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1229 to 1231. 1

The motto "Stand Fast" evolved into a surname south of the Scottish border as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included an entry for Thomas Stanfast, Oxfordshire. 2 In Norfolk, John Standfast, of Lynn, Norfolk was recorded there 3 Edward VI (during the third year of Edward VI's reign.) 3

Early History of the Grand family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grand research. Another 250 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1240, 1263, 1333, 1620, 1674, 1695 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Grand History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grand Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Grant, Grantt, Graunt, Grannd (Gaelic) and others.

Early Notables of the Grand family

Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Grand Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grand Ranking

In the United States, the name Grand is the 13,773^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4 However, in France, the name Grand is ranked the 418^th most popular surname with an estimated 10,207 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Grand family to Ireland

Some of the Grand family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grand migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Grand Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mary Grand, who settled in Virginia in 1639
John Grand, who settled in Virginia in 1650
Alexander Grand, who landed in America in 1652 6
Joost Grand, who arrived in New Netherland(s) in 1662 6
Joost Grand, who settled in the New Netherlands in 1662
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Grand Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Anna Eliz Grand, aged 18, who landed in New York in 1710 6
Augustine Le Grand, who landed in Louisiana in 1718 6
Pierre Guerard De Grand, who arrived in Louisiana in 1719 6
John Rodoiph Grand, who landed in South Carolina in 1744 6

Grand Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Anto Grand, aged 20, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1831 6
Geo Grand, aged 25, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1837 6
J. M. Grand, who settled in San Francisco in 1852
Peter Grand, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1868

Grand migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Grand Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Mary Ann Grand, (b. 1843), aged 21, British domestic servant travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "British Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 6th September 1864 7
Mr. John Grand, (b. 1854), aged 10, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "British Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 6th September 1864 7
Mrs. Mary Ann Grand (Grandi), (b. 1823), aged 41, British nurse travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "British Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 6th September 1864 7
Mr. Grand, English settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Dagmar" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 21st May 1869 7

Grand migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 8

Grand Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Richard Grand, who settled in St. Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1654

Contemporary Notables of the name Grand (post 1700) +

Mark Grand (b. 1955), American software architect
Robert Grand, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Indiana, 2012 9
Jennie A. Grand, American Democratic Party politician, Member of New York Democratic State Committee, 1948 9
David Grand, American politician, Candidate for New York State Senate, 1946, 1948, 1952; Candidate for New York State Assembly from Bronx County 11th District, 1954 9
Major-General Laurence Douglas Grand (1898-1978), British Director of Fortifications & Works, War Office (1949-1952) 10
Keith Walter Chamberlain Grand, Chairman, Penarth Engineering Co. Ltd
Steve Grand (b. 1958), English computer scientist
Simon Grand (b. 1984), English footballer
Sarah Grand (1854-1943), British feminist writer
Julie Le Grand, British actress
... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 17) Laurence Grand. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Grand/Laurence_Douglas/Great_Britain.html