Distribution
of the
surname in 1881
|
Distribution of the
surname in 2000
 |
|
Over the
years, I have collected a large amount of data, and I currently have indexes and
entries relating to the Gant surname for over 70,000 records
worldwide, some of which I have compiled into Family Trees.
Please do
if you have any connection with the surname as I may be able to help with filling
in any gaps in your ancestry.
The
Origins of the Surname
There are many sources that name John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (1340 - 1399)
as one of the original recorded instances of the surname, and that it is just
a variation of GAUNT. My own personal theory is that it is a surname
in its own right, which on many occasions has been written down as GAUNT or
GRANT.
Adalbert de GAND (1004 -1032), was the son of Arnulf
of GAND, Count of Holland, and ancestor of Gilbert de Gant, Earl of Lincoln (c.
1126 - 1156), and an ancient lord of Hunmanby in Yorkshire.
As the surname is so prevalent in the eastern counties of England, I think it's
much more likely that it originated in the west of mainland Europe, before spreading
through the eastern counties of England via Gilbert de
Gant.
Distribution
of the Surname in the United Kingdom
Centuries later in 1851, and before the mass migration to the bigger
towns and cities, census statistics show that the
vast majority of the Gant families in England and Wales were centred around the
eastern English counties of Suffolk, Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and Essex.
Even now, there are still large concentrations in these areas (Source: United
Kingdom Electoral Register 2000).
Distribution
of the Surname Worldwide
There are Gant families all over the world,though by far the largest
concentration is in the United States of America. Census
statistics show that in 1880, there were over 3,600 individuals with the Gant
surname in the United States, compared to just over 1,000 in England, Wales and
Scotland in 1881. |
Ada Emily Gant
1901 - 1933
Charles Robert William Gant
1915 - 1992
Frederick Robert Gant
1871 - 1947
|
A
collection of genealogical and historical facts, figures and data relating to
the GANT surname all over the world.
