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

Grattan, 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 Grattan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Grattan in America

Grattan is the 23354th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Grattan surname appeared 1,090 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 Grattan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Grattan 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 Grattan

The surname GRATTAN is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Grádán" meaning "illustrious" or "renowned". The name first emerged in County Longford, Ireland, during the 12th century.

The earliest recorded instance of the name GRATTAN dates back to the 14th century, where it appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention several members of the GRATTAN family, including Diarmaid GRATTAN, who was noted as a prominent figure in County Longford in the late 1300s.

In the 16th century, the GRATTAN family established themselves as prominent landowners in County Longford and surrounding areas. They were known for their support of the Irish chieftains during the Tudor conquest of Ireland. One notable member from this period was Richard GRATTAN (c. 1540-1610), who was appointed as a magistrate in County Longford.

During the 17th century, the GRATTAN name gained further prominence with the rise of Henry GRATTAN (1746-1820), a renowned Irish politician and orator. He played a pivotal role in securing legislative independence for the Irish Parliament and is remembered as one of Ireland's greatest statesmen.

Another famous bearer of the GRATTAN surname was Thomas Colley GRATTAN (1792-1864), an Irish novelist and travel writer. He is best known for his novel "Highways and Byways; or, Tales of the Road-Side" (1823), which provided vivid descriptions of Irish life and culture.

In the 19th century, the GRATTAN family produced several notable members, including Henry GRATTAN Jr. (1789-1859), an Irish lawyer and politician, and Henry Grattan DOUGLAS BEDINGFELD (1811-1873), a Catholic priest and author.

The surname GRATTAN has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Grattan Bridge in Dublin and Grattan Street in Longford Town, further solidifying its historical roots in the country.

While the GRATTAN name is predominantly Irish, it has also spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to Irish emigration over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Grattan

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

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

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

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