 Hope-Grant was the son of the portrait painter and president of the Royal Academy Sir Francis Grant; his uncle was the general James Hope Grant, and for a time, including his cricket career and his Cambridge University graduation, Ferdinand adopted the name "Hope-Grant", while at other times "Hope" was one of three forenames.Hope-Grant was educated at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge.On graduation from Cambridge, he was ordained as a Church of England priest.