Given name & surname · also Scottish
Grant
“large”·“a tall man; a great man”
Grant is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “large” (Scottish) and “a tall man; a great man” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “large” (Scottish) and “a tall man; a great man” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Scottish, although the derivation remains uncertain.
How it developed
From Scottish Gaelic Grannd, from Anglo-Norman graunt (“big, large”), from Old French grant, from Latin grandis, from Proto-Italic *grandis.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Grant through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 136,669
- 136,462 boys · 207 girls
- Most popular year
- 1997
- 3,315 babies
- 2025
- 1,555
- #228 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −24%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,555 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 228 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 24.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 3,315 in 1997. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (112). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 109,200 as a first name in 2020; 139,862 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Grant’s family of names
In English usage, Grant shares an earlier linguistic root with Grand. Grant has a related form in Graent. Grant has a related form in Grante.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Grant has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its English roots to each of them.
Englishwhere Grant comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Grant
- Grant WoodAmerican painter (1891–1942)
- Grant HollowayAmerican athleteborn 1997
- Grant HillAmerican basketball player (born 1972)
- Grant ImaharaAmerican electrical engineer, roboticist, television host, and actor (1970–2020)
- Grant HanleyScottish association football player (born 1991)
- Grant ShappsBritish politician (born 1968)
- Grant HoltEnglish professional footballer (born 1981)
- Grant HeslovAmerican actor, producer and screenwriterborn 1963
- Grant HackettAustralian swimmer (1980-)
Characters named Grant: Grant Ward (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Grant, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“crooked nose”
90% boys · 10% girls
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“resembling a lion; a faithful man”
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“ardour” · “having great enthusiasm for life”
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Tanner
“one who tans hides” · “one who makes leather”
95% boys · 5% girls