Conant
An English masculine name meaning "high" or "constant".
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Conant. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Conant today is around 79 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Conant births was 1947 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Conant. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Conant is about 79 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Conants were born before 1957.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Conant. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1947
5 babies that year
Average age
79
years old
1947 SSA rank
#3,823
Tracked since 1947
Popularity
Conant: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Conant by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Conant during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Conant
The name Conant has its origins in the Old French language, derived from the word "connant," which means "knowing" or "learned." It emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 12th to 13th centuries, and was likely used as a descriptive surname for individuals who were considered knowledgeable or educated.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Conant can be found in the "Chartulary of St. Mary's Abbey, Dublin," dated around 1200 AD. This historical document mentions a person named "Conant de Bristoue," indicating the name's presence in medieval England.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Conant. In the 16th century, Roger Conant (1592-1679) was an English colonist who helped establish the Massachusetts Bay Colony and is considered one of the founders of Salem, Massachusetts.
Another prominent figure was Thomas Conant (1602-1675), an English Puritan minister and religious leader who immigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1623. He served as a minister in Salem and played a significant role in the early religious life of the colony.
In the realm of academia, Mark Conant (1890-1964) was an American painter and educator who served as the director of the Art Institute of Chicago from 1938 to 1964, making significant contributions to the art world during his tenure.
James Bryant Conant (1893-1978) was an American chemist, educator, and diplomat. He served as the president of Harvard University from 1933 to 1953 and later as the United States Ambassador to West Germany from 1955 to 1957.
In more recent times, Kenneth Conant (1894-1959) was an American architect and urban planner who designed notable buildings in New York City, including the Museum of the City of New York and the Triborough Bridge.
While the name Conant has its roots in Old French, it has been widely adopted and used throughout various cultures and regions, reflecting its longevity and historical significance.
People
Conant + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Conant as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Conant: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Conant?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Conant going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Conant a common name?
We classify Conant as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Conant most popular?
The single biggest year for Conant was 1947, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Conant is about 79 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Conant in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Conant a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Conant in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Conant still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Conant in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Conant can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Conant?
You can see how many Americans are named Conant on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.