Garratt
A masculine name of English origin meaning "watchpost" or "guardhouse".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Garratt. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Garratt today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Garratt births was 1994 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Garratt. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Garratt. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1994
5 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
1994 SSA rank
#9,298
Tracked since 1994
Popularity
Garratt: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Garratt 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 Garratt during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Garratt
The given name Garratt has its origins in the medieval Anglo-Norman French language, emerging in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is derived from the Old French word "garer," which means "to watch over" or "to guard." This likely stems from the occupational surname referring to a watchman or gatekeeper.
In its earliest documented uses, the name Garratt appeared as a surname in various English records from the 12th century onwards. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robertus Garret, recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1176. Over time, the surname gradually transitioned into a given name through the common practice of adopting surnames as first names.
The name Garratt gained prominence in medieval England, particularly among the gentry and nobility. Notable historical figures bearing this name include Sir Garratt Leigh (1592-1671), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of King Charles I. Another prominent bearer was Garratt Neville (1518-1592), an English politician and courtier who held various positions under Queen Elizabeth I.
During the Renaissance period, the name Garratt appeared in literary works, such as the satirical play "The Rehearsal" by George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham (1628-1687). The play features a character named Garratt, who represents a typical country squire.
In the 18th century, Garratt Colclough (1700-1780) was an Irish politician and landowner who served as a Member of the Irish House of Commons. Another notable figure was Garratt Samwell (1753-1809), an English naval officer and explorer who accompanied Captain James Cook on his third voyage to the Pacific.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the name Garratt continued to be used, although less frequently. One notable bearer was Garratt Payne Yorstoun (1835-1917), an English soldier and author who served in the British Army and wrote several books on military history.
People
Garratt + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Garratt 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
Garratt: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Garratt?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Garratt 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Garratt a common name?
We classify Garratt as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Garratt most popular?
The single biggest year for Garratt was 1994, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Garratt is about 31 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Garratt in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Garratt a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Garratt 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.
Is Garratt still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Garratt in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Garratt can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Garratt?
See how many people have the name Garratt on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.