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

Granville, 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 Granville surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Granville in America

Granville is the 11977th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Granville surname appeared 2,608 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Granville.

We can also compare 2010 data for Granville 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 Granville

The surname Granville is of Norman French origin and dates back to the 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It is derived from the Old French phrase "grand ville," which translates to "great town" or "large settlement." The name likely originated in the region of Normandy, France, where many Norman families bore similar toponymic surnames referencing towns and villages.

The earliest recorded instances of the Granville surname appear in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Greinvilla" and "Grenevilla," reflecting the Norman-French spelling variations common during that period.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Granville surname was Richard de Granville, a Norman knight who accompanied William the Conqueror to England in the 11th century. He was granted lands in the county of Buckinghamshire for his service, and his descendants continued to use the Granville name.

In the 13th century, the Granville family established themselves as prominent landowners in the county of Devon, England. Sir Richard de Granville (born around 1180) was a notable figure who served as Sheriff of Devon and was involved in the Barons' War against King John.

During the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century, Sir Thomas Granville (1423-1483) was a staunch supporter of the House of Lancaster. He was knighted for his bravery at the Battle of Wakefield in 1460 and later served as Sheriff of Devon.

The Granville surname also has a strong association with the Channel Islands, specifically the island of Jersey. Sir Bevil Granville (1595-1643) was a prominent royalist during the English Civil War and served as the governor of Jersey. His descendants continued to hold significant influence on the island for several generations.

Other notable figures with the Granville surname include George Granville, 1st Baron Lansdown (1667-1735), an English poet and politician; John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville (1690-1763), a British statesman and diplomat; and Granville Sharp (1735-1813), a notable English abolitionist and campaigner against slavery.

The Granville surname has a rich history spanning centuries, with its roots firmly planted in the Norman conquest of England and the subsequent establishment of prominent families bearing the name in various regions of the country, as well as the Channel Islands.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Granville

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

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

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

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