Find out how popular the last name Gantt is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Gantt.

Gantt, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Gantt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gantt in America

Gantt is the 3891st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gantt surname appeared 9,122 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Gantt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gantt to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Gantt

The surname Gantt originated from the Old English word "ganta" which means a gander or a male goose. It first appeared in England during the late 12th century in the county of Lancashire. The name was initially used to identify someone who kept geese or lived near a marshy area frequented by these birds.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gantt can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire from 1202, where it is listed as "Gaunt." This spelling variation was quite common in those times. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 also mention a "John Gant," which further establishes the early presence of this surname.

In the 14th century, the name Gantt began appearing more frequently in various historical records. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 list a "William Gant" as a landowner in Oxfordshire. The famous Domesday Book of 1086 also includes several entries for individuals with the name "Gant" or "Gaunt," indicating that it was a well-established surname by the time of the Norman Conquest.

During the Middle Ages, the Gantt family held lands and properties in various parts of England, particularly in Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire. One notable member was Sir Gilbert Gaunt (1279-1335), a English knight who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence under King Edward I.

In later centuries, the surname Gantt continued to spread and evolve. John Gantt (1592-1637) was an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Surrey. Henry Gantt (1861-1919) was an American mechanical engineer and management consultant, best known for his development of the Gantt chart, a popular project management tool.

Other notable individuals with the surname Gantt include:

1. Thomas Gantt (1619-1676), an English colonist who settled in Maryland and served as a member of the colonial assembly.
2. John Newton Gantt (1810-1864), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Arkansas.
3. Horatio Gantt (1819-1900), an American Baptist minister and educator who founded the Gantt School for Negro Girls in St. Louis, Missouri.
4. Eva Gantt (1921-2019), an American civil rights activist and community leader in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
5. Harvey Gantt (born 1943), an American architect, politician, and the first African American student admitted to Clemson University in South Carolina.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gantt

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Gantt.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Gantt was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Gantt has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Gantt was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gantt, please contact us.

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