UK boy's name
Grant
From Old English, meaning "tall" or "great".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Grant is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Grant popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4270, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 307 births.
This profile covers 1,199 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 1% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 6,316 living people in the UK are called Grant. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Grant ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 307 boys were registered as Grant.
- • Grant ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #341 in 2006.
- • About 6,316 living people in the UK are estimated to have Grant as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4270
2024
Births in 2024
4
Latest year
Peak year
1996
307 births
Estimated living
6,316
2026
Meaning
What does Grant mean?
The name Grant has its origins in the Old French and Anglo-Norman French word "grant", meaning "great" or "grand". It can be traced back to the 12th century and was initially used as a descriptive surname or nickname for someone of great stature or importance.
During the Middle Ages, the name gained popularity in England and Scotland, where it was often associated with landowners or those who were granted lands or titles by the monarch. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions several individuals with the surname Grant.
The name Grant has a connection to the Latin word "grandis", meaning "large" or "great". This linguistic link suggests that the name may have been used to describe someone of great physical size or stature in ancient times.
In the realm of historical figures, one notable individual with the name Grant was Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), the 18th President of the United States. He was a prominent military leader during the American Civil War and played a pivotal role in the Union victory.
Another famous bearer of the name was Cary Grant (1904-1986), the celebrated English-American actor known for his iconic performances in numerous Hollywood classics. His suave and debonair screen presence earned him a lasting legacy in the world of cinema.
In literature, Grant Naylor was the collective pseudonym used by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, the writers and creators of the iconic British sci-fi comedy series "Red Dwarf". Their collaboration brought forth a beloved and enduring sci-fi franchise.
In the world of sports, Grant Hill (born 1972) was a highly accomplished basketball player who had a successful career in the NBA, playing for teams like the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic. He was a seven-time NBA All-Star and won multiple championships.
Lastly, Grant Wood (1891-1942) was a renowned American painter best known for his iconic work "American Gothic", which has become a quintessential representation of rural American life and a staple of American art history.
These are just a few examples of notable figures throughout history who have borne the name Grant, illustrating its enduring presence across various fields and cultures.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Grant over time
The chart below shows babies named Grant registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Grant, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 307 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Grant by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Grant was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #3344 | 29 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1811 | 132 | 10 |
| 2000s | #873 | 306 | 10 |
| 1990s | #209 | 732 | 4 |
Geography
Where Grant is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Grant. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Grant ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #341 in 2006.
Across the UK
Grant in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#535 in 2024
49 years of NRS records, 5,239 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#341 in 2006
5 years of NISRA records, 21 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Grant
-
Grant Sonnex
naturalist
British naturalist
2000-
-
Grant Showbiz
composer; record producer
British record producer
2000-
-
Grant Stewart
rugby union player
Scottish rugby union player
1995-
-
Grant Ward
association football player
English association football player
1994-
-
Grant Smith
association football player
English association football player (born 1993)
1993-
-
Grant Thornton
cricketer
cricketer (born 1992)
1992-
-
Grant Turner
swimmer
British swimmer
1989-
-
Grant Shiells
rugby union player
English rugby union player
1989-
Related
Names similar to Grant
- George 121,258
- Gabriel 20,581
- Grayson 7,636
- Gregory 2,925
- Guy 2,646
- Gareth 2,092
- Gethin 1,880
- Georgie 1,872
- Gary 1,575
- Gavin 1,422
- Giovanni 1,252
- Greyson 1,165
FAQ
Grant: questions and answers
How popular is the name Grant in the UK right now?
In 2024, Grant was ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Grant most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 307 babies registered as Grant in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Grant?
From Old English, meaning "tall" or "great".
How many people are called Grant in the UK?
A total of 1,199 babies have been registered as Grant across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 5,239 more in Scotland and 21 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Grant most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Grant ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #341 in 2006. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.