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

Granite, 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 Granite surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Granite in America

Granite is the 78567th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Granite surname appeared 243 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Granite.

We can also compare 2010 data for Granite 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 Granite

The surname Granite is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "grānt," meaning "gray" or "grizzled." This name likely originated in the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

Granite was initially a descriptive surname, given to individuals with gray or grizzled hair or complexion. The earliest known record of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Ælfricus Grānt is listed in Warwickshire.

In the 12th century, the name was also found in various Norman-French spellings, such as "Graunt" and "Graunte," reflecting the influence of the Norman lords on English naming conventions.

By the 13th century, the spelling had evolved closer to its modern form, with records showing individuals named "Grante" and "Graunte" in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire.

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Graunt (1620-1674), an English statistician and philosopher who is considered one of the founders of demography. His influential work, "Natural and Political Observations Made upon the Bills of Mortality," published in 1662, pioneered the use of statistical analysis in understanding population trends.

Another significant figure was Sir Francis Grante (1627-1701), an English politician and baronet who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire in the late 17th century.

In the 18th century, the surname Granite was found in various parts of England, with concentrations in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. One notable bearer was Robert Granite (1736-1814), an English clergyman and author who wrote extensively on theological subjects.

In the 19th century, the surname Granite spread to other parts of the world due to British emigration. For instance, John Granite (1802-1879) was an English-born American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Quincy, Illinois, from 1858 to 1859.

Lastly, a prominent figure of the 20th century was Sir John Granite (1892-1978), a British diplomat and civil servant who served as the Ambassador to Spain during the Spanish Civil War and played a crucial role in evacuating thousands of British citizens from the conflict zone.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Granite

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

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 Granite 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 Granite 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 Granite was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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