Granvil
A masculine name of French origin meaning "large town or borough".
Name Census estimates that about 40 living Americans carry the first name Granvil. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Granvil today is around 84 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Granvil births was 1918 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Granvil. 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 Granvil is about 84 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Granvils were born before 1952.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Granvil. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
40
~ 1 in 8,568,858 Americans
Peak year
1918
14 babies that year
Average age
84
years old
1962 SSA rank
#3,790
Tracked since 1912
Popularity
Granvil: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Granvil from the 1910s through to the 1960s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 107 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Granvil 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 Granvil during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Granvil
The name Granvil has its origins in the Old French language, tracing back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Frankish words "gran," meaning "gray" or "grayish," and "vill," meaning "settlement" or "farm." Together, Granvil likely referred to a grayish-colored village or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Granvil can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property in England conducted in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Grenvile" and "Grenville," indicating its Norman roots.
During the Middle Ages, the name Granvil was associated with several notable figures. One of the most prominent was Granvil de Lacy, a Norman knight who accompanied William the Conqueror during the Norman conquest of England in 1066. He was later granted extensive lands in Herefordshire and played a crucial role in securing the Welsh borders for the Norman monarchy.
Another historical figure bearing the name Granvil was Granvil de Briouze, a 12th-century Norman baron who held lands in both England and Normandy. He served as a trusted advisor to King Henry II and was involved in the suppression of the Revolt of 1173-1174 against the king.
In the 13th century, Granvil de Vere was a prominent English nobleman and military commander who participated in the Barons' War against King Henry III. He was captured at the Battle of Lewes in 1264 and later exchanged for the release of Prince Edward, the future King Edward I.
During the Renaissance period, Granvil Fletcher (1585-1647) was an English poet and playwright who worked closely with the renowned dramatist Francis Beaumont. He co-authored several plays, including "The Faithful Shepherdess" and "The Bloody Brother," which were popular in their time.
In the 18th century, Granvil Sharp (1735-1813) was an English abolitionist and a prominent figure in the movement to end slavery in the British Empire. He played a pivotal role in the landmark Somerset v Stewart case of 1772, which became a significant step toward the abolition of slavery in Britain.
These examples illustrate the long-standing presence of the name Granvil throughout history, spanning various cultures and eras. While its popularity may have waxed and waned over time, the name has left an indelible mark on the historical landscape.
People
Granvil + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Granvil 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
Granvil: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Granvil?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 40 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Granvil 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 8,568,858 US residents.
Is Granvil a common name?
We classify Granvil as "Very Rare". It ranks above 51% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 250 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Granvil most popular?
The single biggest year for Granvil was 1918, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Granvil is about 84 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 Granvil in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Granvil a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Granvil 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 Granvil still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Granvil 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 Granvil 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 have the name Granvil?
See how many Americans are named Granvil on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.