2000
#113,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 143
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Giant
A surname referring to someone of great stature or size.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Giant. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Giant surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Giant in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Giant, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.7%. The next largest groups are Black (9.2%) and Two or More Races (7.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Giant
The surname Giant is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "geant," which in turn comes from the Latin word "gigas," meaning a giant or someone of great size. This surname likely emerged in England during the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Giant can be traced back to the 13th century, with references found in various medieval records and documents. One notable example is the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mentions a John le Geaunt from Lincolnshire.
In the 14th century, the surname Giant appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of 1334, which listed a Robert le Geant from the county of Yorkshire. This record suggests that the name may have been associated with certain regions or areas within England during that time period.
The surname Giant is also found in the Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which recorded individuals for taxation purposes. This document includes entries for a William le Geaunt from Cambridgeshire and a John le Geant from Oxfordshire.
Over the centuries, the surname Giant has undergone various spellings and variations, including Geyant, Geaunt, and Jiant. These variations likely stemmed from regional dialects and differences in pronunciation.
Notable historical figures with the surname Giant include:
1. Sir John Giant (c. 1495 - 1564), an English courtier and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
2. William Giant (1628 - 1679), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious texts.
3. Edward Giant (1705 - 1772), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the 18th century.
4. Thomas Giant (1777 - 1849), an English poet and writer known for his works on rural life and nature.
5. Mary Giant (1826 - 1901), a British philanthropist and social reformer who advocated for education and women's rights.
While the surname Giant has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period, when it was likely associated with someone of great stature or size.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Giant
Among Census respondents with the surname Giant, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.7%. The next largest groups are Black (9.2%) and Two or More Races (7.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Giant bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Giant surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.7% · 92
- Black or African American9.2% · 11
- Two or more races7.5% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Giant
Giant appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-23 bearers (-16.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,709 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,821 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #113,519 | 143 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -23 bearers (-16.1%) | Down 25,709 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 2,821 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Giant surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #139,228 | #142,049 | -2.0% |
| Count | 120 | 120 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Giant bearers went from 120 to 120 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 2,821 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #142,049.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Giant
FAQ
Giant surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Giant?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Giant. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Giant?
Giant ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Giant. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Giant.
Has Giant become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Giant went from 120 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Giant?
Among Census respondents with the surname Giant, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.7%. The next largest groups are Black (9.2%) and Two or More Races (7.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Giant in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.7% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Giant appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.7%), Black (9.2%), Two or More Races (7.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Giant (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Giant mean?
A surname referring to someone of great stature or size. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Giant (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Giant?
Find out how many people have the last name Giant on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.