Garnette
A feminine name of French origin derived from garnet, the gemstone.
Name Census estimates that about 201 living Americans carry the first name Garnette. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Garnette today is around 75 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Garnette births was 1920 (40 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Garnette. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Garnette is about 75 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Garnettes were born before 1961.
People living today
201
~ 1 in 1,705,245 Americans
Peak year
1920
40 babies that year
Average age
75
years old
1979 SSA rank
#10,705
Tracked since 1890
Popularity
Garnette: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Garnette from the 1890s through to the 1970s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 235 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Garnette 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 Garnette during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Garnettes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio recorded the most babies named Garnette, while Indiana, Ohio, Virginia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 25 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Garnette
The name Garnette is believed to have its origins in the Old French word "grenate," which means "pomegranate." This word is derived from the Latin word "granatus," meaning "grain" or "seed." The name likely originated as a reference to the deep red color of pomegranate seeds.
Garnette was originally a surname, but over time, it transitioned into being used as a given name as well. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Garnette dates back to the 16th century in France.
In ancient times, the name was rarely used as a personal name. However, it did appear in some historical records and texts as a reference to the gemstone garnet, which shares a similar root word.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name Garnette was Garnette Cadogan (1598-1678), an English politician and member of Parliament during the 17th century. Another notable figure was Garnette Younge (1756-1826), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.
In the 19th century, the name gained more popularity, particularly in the United States. Garnette Arledge (1817-1893) was an American politician and judge from Mississippi. Garnette Ricketts (1859-1938) was an American educator and suffragist who advocated for women's rights and voting rights.
Another famous bearer of the name was Garnette Radcliffe-Whitehead (1894-1985), an English-born American artist and illustrator known for her paintings and illustrations in children's books.
Throughout history, the name Garnette has been used across various cultures and regions, although it has remained relatively uncommon. Its unique spelling and connection to the vibrant color of garnets have contributed to its enduring appeal as a given name.
People
Garnette + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Garnette 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
Garnette: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Garnette?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 201 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Garnette 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 1,705,245 US residents.
Is Garnette a common name?
We classify Garnette as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 945 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Garnette most popular?
The single biggest year for Garnette was 1920, when 40 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Garnette is about 75 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Garnette a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Garnette in the SSA data are female. 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.