There have been several people named James Grant.

James Grant (1720-1806) was a major general in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. He served as Governor of East Florida from 1763 to 1771.

James Grant (1772-1833) was a British naval officer in the early nineteenth century. He made several voyages to Australia and Tasmania, and was the first to map parts of the Australian coast. As a Lieutenant he took command of the HMS Lady Nelson and sailed from the River Thames for Port Jackson on 18 March 1800.