2000
#2,490
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,268
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.92
Uncommon Last name
Gant
Derived from the Middle English word "gant," meaning a triangular piece of cloth used for making a garment.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,481 Americans carry the last name Gant. That puts it at #2,610 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,140 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gant surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Gant with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 22,140
Census rank
#2,610
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,500 bearers of the surname Gant in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2610th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gant, the largest self-reported group is Black at 46.3%. The next largest groups are White (44.0%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gant
The surname GANT has its origins in the Normandy region of France. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "gant," which means "glove." The name likely originated in the early Middle Ages, around the 10th or 11th century.
GANT was initially an occupational surname, referring to a person who made or sold gloves. It was not uncommon for surnames to be derived from trades or professions during this period. As the practice of adopting hereditary surnames became more widespread, those involved in the glove-making trade passed the name down through generations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "Gaunt" in this document, reflecting the then-common spelling variation.
In the 12th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Gilbert de Gant, a Norman nobleman who served as the Lord of Folkingham in Lincolnshire, England. His descendants continued to hold lands and titles in various parts of England for several generations.
Another prominent individual with this name was Sir Thomas Gant (1492-1553), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. He was known for his involvement in the dissolution of monasteries and the acquisition of monastic lands.
In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the GANT surname was Nehemiah Gant (1624-1702), an English Puritan clergyman and author who served as the Rector of St. Peter's Church in Norwich.
During the 18th century, John Gant (1718-1778) was a British Admiral in the Royal Navy, known for his service during the Seven Years' War and his involvement in the capture of several French ships.
In the field of literature, Reginald Gant (1892-1951) was an Australian novelist and short story writer, best known for his works depicting life in the Australian outback.
The name GANT has also been associated with various place names throughout history, such as Ganthorpe in Yorkshire, England, and Gaunts in Gloucestershire, England, reflecting the presence of individuals bearing this surname in those locations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gant
Among Census respondents with the surname Gant, the largest self-reported group is Black at 46.3%. The next largest groups are White (44.0%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gant bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Gant surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American46.3% · 6,252
- White44.0% · 5,944
- Two or more races5.4% · 729
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 429
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 88
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 58
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gant
Gant appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,550
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,167
+899 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 4.80
Rank movement Down 60 places
2020
#2,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,500
-667 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 4.52
Rank movement Down 60 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,490 | 13,268 | 4.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,550 | 14,167 | 4.80 | +899 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 60 places |
| 2020 | #2,610 | 13,500 | 4.52 | -667 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 60 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Gant surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,550 | #2,610 | -2.4% |
| Count | 14,167 | 13,500 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 4.80 | 4.52 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gant bearers went from 14,167 to 13,500 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 60 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,550 to #2,610.
FAQ
Gant surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gant?
Name Census estimates that about 15,481 living Americans carry the surname Gant. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,140 residents.
How common is Gant?
Gant ranks #2,610 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.52 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,500 people with the surname Gant. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,481), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.52 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Gant.
Has Gant become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gant went from 14,167 recorded bearers to 13,500. That is a decrease of 667 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,550 to #2,610.
What does the Census say about the background of Gant?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gant, the largest self-reported group is Black at 46.3%. The next largest groups are White (44.0%) and Two or More Races (5.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gant in the 2020 Census, accounting for 46.3% (6,252 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gant appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (46.3%), White (44.0%), Two or More Races (5.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Gant (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Gant mean?
Derived from the Middle English word "gant," meaning a triangular piece of cloth used for making a garment. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Gant (4.52 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Gant?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.