Grant
The origin of the surname Grant
Grant comes from the Norman-French grand, “great” or “tall.”
What kind of surname is Grant?
As a descriptive surname (or nickname name), the surname Grant arose from a personal characteristic — a physical trait, a quality of temperament, or a distinguishing feature of its first bearer. Communities have always coined nicknames, and in the age before fixed surnames these vivid, affectionate or teasing labels — referring to hair colour, stature, complexion or character — frequently became hereditary. Descriptive surnames give an unusually human glimpse of an ancestor, hinting at how they looked or how they were regarded by the people around them.
How Scottish surnames work
Scottish surnames come from several roots: Gaelic patronymics using “Mac” (“son of”), Lowland and Border names, Norse-influenced names in the isles, and the famous clan system, in which many unrelated families adopted a chief's surname. Locational and occupational names appear too. As with Irish names, anglicisation reshaped many spellings over the centuries.
Frequently asked questions
What does the surname Grant mean?
The surname Grant means Great, tall. Grant comes from the Norman-French grand, “great” or “tall.”
Where does the surname Grant come from?
Grant is a surname of Scottish origin.
What kind of surname is Grant?
Grant is a descriptive surname, originally describing a physical or personal characteristic.
How common is the surname Grant in the United States?
Grant is the 192nd most common surname in the United States (2010 U.S. Census), recorded for about 134,034 people.