Garet
A masculine name derived from the French name Gérard, meaning "brave spear".
Name Census estimates that about 1,432 living Americans carry the first name Garet. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Garet today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Garet births was 1999 (71 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Garet. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.4K
~ 1 in 239,354 Americans
Peak year
1999
71 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
2020 SSA rank
#9,901
Tracked since 1941
Popularity
Garet: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Garet from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 468 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Garet by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Garet during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Garets live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Garet, while Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Ohio recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 28 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Garet
The name Garet has its origins in the French language, derived from the Old French word "garer," meaning "to protect" or "to guard." This name likely emerged during the medieval period in France, where it was bestowed upon individuals who performed protective roles, such as soldiers or guardsmen.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Garet can be traced back to the 13th century, when a knight named Garet de Châlons fought alongside King Philip II of France during the Albigensian Crusade. This crusade, which took place between 1209 and 1229, aimed to eliminate the Cathar heresy in southern France.
In the 14th century, a French nobleman named Garet de Valois served as a trusted advisor to King Charles V, known as the Wise. De Valois played a crucial role in the reorganization of the French army and the implementation of several military reforms during the Hundred Years' War against England.
Another notable figure bearing the name Garet was a French poet and dramatist, Garet d'Angers, who lived in the 15th century. He is best known for his work "Le Mystère de la Passion," a passion play depicting the life and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
In the 16th century, Garet Duplessis was a prominent French scholar and humanist who dedicated his life to the study of classical literature and philosophy. He is credited with translating several works of ancient Greek philosophers, including Plato and Aristotle, into French.
Moving forward to the 18th century, Garet Delisle was a renowned French cartographer and geographer who created some of the most accurate and detailed maps of his time. His works were widely used by explorers and navigators, contributing significantly to the advancement of cartography and geographic knowledge.
While the name Garet may not be as common today as it once was, it carries a rich historical legacy, reflecting the valor, intelligence, and dedication of those who bore it throughout the centuries.
People
Garet + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Garet as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Garet: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Garet?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,432 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Garet going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 239,354 US residents.
Is Garet a common name?
We classify Garet as "Rare". It ranks above 92.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,486 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Garet most popular?
The single biggest year for Garet was 1999, when 71 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Garet is about 32 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Garet a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Garet in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.