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Show ContentsGrant History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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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 Grant family

The surname Grant 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 Grant family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grant 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 Grant History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Grant Spelling Variations

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

Early Notables of the Grant family

Notable among the family at this time was

  • Sir James Grant, 1st Baronet (died 1695), a Scottish lawyer, appointed King's Advocate

Grant World Ranking

In the United States, the name Grant is the 154th most popular surname with an estimated 149,220 people with that name. 4 However, in Canada, the name Grant is ranked the 97th most popular surname with an estimated 28,249 people with that name. 5 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Grant is the 986th popular surname. 6 Newfoundland, Canada ranks Grant as 385th with 122 people. 7 Australia ranks Grant as 90th with 26,905 people. 8 New Zealand ranks Grant as 56th with 5,169 people. 9 The United Kingdom ranks Grant as 105th with 44,691 people. 10

Ireland Migration of the Grant family to Ireland

Some of the Grant 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.

United States Grant migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Grant Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Mr. Seth Grant, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1632 aboard the ship "Lyon" 11
  • Peter Grant who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1651
  • James Grant, who settled in New England in 1651
  • Charles Grant, who landed in Maryland in 1651 12
  • John Grant, who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1652 with his servants
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Grant Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Daniel Grant, who landed in Maryland in 1716 12
  • Danl Grant, who arrived in Maryland in 1716 12
  • Andrew Grant, who arrived in Georgia in 1733 12
  • Archibald Grant, who settled in Georgia in 1734
  • Augus Grant, who arrived in Maryland in 1747 12
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Grant Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Ann Grant, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 12
  • Bernard Grant, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 12
  • Anne Grant, aged 20, who arrived in New York in 1849 12
  • Barbara Grant, who arrived in America in 1850 12
  • Catherine Grant, who arrived in New York in 1854 12
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Grant migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Grant Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Alex Grant, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1760
  • Alex Grant, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1773
  • Christopher Grant, who landed in Pictou, Nova Scotia in 1773
  • Donald Grant, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1773
  • Alex Grant, who arrived in Pictou, Nova Scotia in 1773
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Grant Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Alex Grant, aged 4, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1801
  • Alex Grant, aged 6, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1801
  • Alex Grant, aged 9, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1801
  • Angus Grant, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1801
  • Cath Grant, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1801
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Grant migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Grant Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Grant, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
  • Mr. William Grant, British Convict who was convicted in Kingston Upon Hull, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Batavia" in October 1817, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
  • Mr. Alexander Grant, Scottish convict who was convicted in Aberdeen, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in December 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
  • Mr. John Grant, English convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 16
  • Mr. Robert Grant, (b. 1796), aged 23, English sawyer who was convicted in Shropshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1826 16
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Grant 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:

Grant Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John Grant, who landed in Bay of Islands, New Zealand in 1840
  • Alexander Grant, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Blenheim
  • W Grant, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
  • Alexander Grant, aged 30, a mason, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blenheim" in 1840
  • William Grant, aged 20, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Oriental" in 1840
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

West Indies Grant 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. 17
Grant Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century
  • Alexander Grant, who arrived in Antigua (Antego) in 1748-1749 12

Contemporary Notables of the name Grant (post 1700) +

  • President Ulysses S Grant (1822-1885), General-in-chief of the Union Army during the American Civil War and 18th president of the United States of America
  • Milton Grant (1923-2007), American disc jockey and owner of television stations, host of the six-time-a-week The Milt Grant Show on WTTG, Washington's primary teen dance show
  • Harry Peter "Bud" Grant Jr. (1927-2023), American NFL football player and coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1957–1966) and the Minnesota Vikings (1967–1983; 1985)
  • Micki Grant (1929-2021), born Minnie Louise Perkins, an American singer (soprano), actress, writer, and composer who received three Tony award nominations for her writing
  • James Timothy "Mudcat" Grant (1935-2021), American baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (1958-1971)
  • John Boyd “Tiny” Grant (1933-2020), American college basketball coach for Fresno State and Colorado State
  • Eugene Martin Grant (1918-2018), born Eugene Martin Greenberg, an American real estate investor and civic leader
  • Ron Grant (1944-2016), American Academy Award winning composer, best known for his work on Knot's Landing and Tiny Toon Adventures
  • Sarah Dickinson Grant (1943-2016), American jurist, Judge of the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One
  • Toni Grant (1942-2016), born Toni Glickman, an American psychologist and talk radio host, one of the first licensed psychologists to have her own radio talk show
  • ... (Another 174 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Empress of Ireland
  • Mr. John Grant, British Electrician from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland (1914) and survived the sinking 18
  • Mr. James Frederic Grant (1888-1914), Canadian Surgeon from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland and survived the sinking 18
  • Mr. Edward Grant (d. 1914), British Trimmer from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 18
Frank Rock Slide
  • Mr. Alex Grant, Canadian miner working in the town of Frank, Alberta who survived the Frank Rock Slide on 29th April 1903 19
Halifax Explosion
  • Mrs. Annie  Grant (1867-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 20
  • Mrs. Mary M.  Grant (1867-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 20
  • Mrs. Mary  Grant (1887-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 20
Hindenburg LZ-129
  • Mr. George Grant (1873-1937), English Shipping Line Executive from London, England, who was a passenger on board the Hindenburg LZ-129 and survived the Airship Fire 21
HMS Cornwall
  • Thomas Grant (d. 1942), British Stoker 2nd Class aboard the HMS Cornwall when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 22
  • James Leslie Grant, British Warrant Officer Engineer aboard the HMS Cornwall (1942) when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he survived the sinking 22
HMS Dorsetshire
  • George Henry Grant (d. 1945), British Ordinary Seaman aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 23
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. William Fielding Grant, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 24
  • Mr. William Stanley Loveless Grant, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 24
HMS Royal Oak
  • Norman W. Grant, British Marine with the Royal Marine aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 25
Ibrox disaster
  • Thomas Grant (1955-1971), Scottish football supporter, from Glasgow who was at the Ibrox disaster on 2nd January 1971 when a human crush among the crowd killed 66 and injured 200 people he died of his injuries 26
  • Robert Campbell Grant (1950-1971), Scottish football supporter, from Renfrewshire who was at the Ibrox disaster on 2nd January 1971 when a human crush among the crowd killed 66 and injured 200 people he died of his injuries 26
Lady of the Lake
  • Mr. James Grant, crew apprentice who sailed aboard the "Lady of the Lake" from Greenock, Scotland on 8th April 1833 to Quebec, Canada when the ship hit ice and sunk of the coast of Newfoundland on the 11th May 1833 and he survived the sinking
  • Mr. John Grant, crew Master who sailed aboard the "Lady of the Lake" from Greenock, Scotland on 8th April 1833 to Quebec, Canada when the ship hit ice and sunk of the coast of Newfoundland on the 11th May 1833 and he survived the sinking
Mount Mulligan Mine
  • Francis "Frank" Grant, Australian coal miner who was killed in the Mount Mulligan Mine explosion in 1921
RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. James Grant, English 1st Class Cabin Bed Steward from Kirkdale, Liverpool, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 27
  • Mr. Michael Grant, Irish Fireman from Dundalk, Louth, Ireland, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 27
  • Mr. Montagu Tassell Grant, English 1st Class Passenger residing in Chicago, Illinois, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking and was recovered 28
  • Mrs. Chastina Janet Grant, English 1st Class Passenger residing in Chicago, Illinois, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking and was recovered 28
USS Arizona
  • Mr. Lawrence Everett Grant, American Yeoman Third Class from Missouri, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 29

Suggested Readings for the name Grant +

  • Peter Grant, Scotch Exile, Kittery and Berwick, Maine: Genealogy by Leola Grant Bushman.
  1. 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)
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  6. "The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
  7. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  8. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  9. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  10. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  11. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  12. 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)
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/batavia
  15. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
  16. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
  17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  18. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  19. Calgary Herald news article retrieved 11th August 2021. Retrieved from https://smartcdn.prod.postmedia.digital/calgaryherald/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Calgary_Herald_Thu__Apr_30__1903_-copy-scaled.jpg
  20. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
  21. Hindenburg Disaster Passenger List | Airships.net. (Retrieved 2014, April 11) . Retrieved from http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/disaster/hindenburg-passenger-list/
  22. Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A
  23. Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html
  24. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
  25. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
  26. Bradford City Football Club In memory (retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://www.bradfordcityafc.com/club/in-memoriam/
  27. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 10) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
  28. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
  29. Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html
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