Grandison
Of French derivation, indicating a person of imposing or grandiose stature.
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Grandison. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Grandison today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Grandison births was 1929 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Grandison. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Grandison. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1929
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1929 SSA rank
#4,214
Tracked since 1929
Popularity
Grandison: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Grandison 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 Grandison during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Grandison
The name Grandison originates from the Old French language and is derived from the combination of the words "grand," meaning "great," and "son," meaning "son." It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century, in France.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Grandison dates back to the 13th century, with Sir Otho Grandison, an English knight who served under King Edward I during the late 13th century. He was renowned for his bravery and military prowess in various campaigns, including the Welsh Wars and the Scottish Wars of Independence.
Another notable figure bearing the name Grandison was John Grandison, an English prelate who lived from around 1292 to 1369. He served as the Bishop of Exeter and played a significant role in the ecclesiastical and political affairs of his time.
In the 16th century, Sir Thomas Grandison (1523-1589) was a prominent English soldier and diplomat who served under Queen Elizabeth I. He was involved in various military campaigns and diplomatic missions, including the Anglo-Spanish War and negotiations with the Dutch Republic.
During the 17th century, Robert Grandison (1605-1670) was an English colonist who settled in Virginia. He was a prominent figure in the early colonial period and served as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, representing James City County.
In more recent times, James Grandison (1816-1889) was an American abolitionist and Baptist minister who actively campaigned against slavery and advocated for the rights of African Americans. He was a prominent figure in the anti-slavery movement and worked closely with notable abolitionists like Frederick Douglass.
While the name Grandison has its roots in Old French and was initially more prevalent in Europe, it has since been adopted and used in various parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries. However, it remains a relatively uncommon name, with a rich historical legacy spanning several centuries and cultural contexts.
People
Grandison + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Grandison as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Grandison: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Grandison?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Grandison 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 - US residents.
Is Grandison a common name?
We classify Grandison as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% 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 Grandison most popular?
The single biggest year for Grandison was 1929, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Grandison is about 0 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 Grandison in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Grandison a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Grandison 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 Grandison still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Grandison 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 Grandison 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 named Grandison?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Grandison on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.