Garrel
A Spanish masculine name derived from the old German name Gerard, meaning "brave with a spear".
Name Census estimates that about 25 living Americans carry the first name Garrel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Garrel today is around 82 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Garrel births was 1947 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Garrel. 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 Garrel is about 82 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Garrels were born before 1954.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Garrel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
25
~ 1 in 13,710,174 Americans
Peak year
1947
10 babies that year
Average age
82
years old
1950 SSA rank
#3,876
Tracked since 1933
Popularity
Garrel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Garrel from the 1930s through to the 1950s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 35 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1940s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Garrel 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 Garrel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Garrel
The given name Garrel has its roots in the Old French language, originating in the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "garel," which translates to "watchful" or "vigilant." The name likely emerged as a descriptive surname for individuals who possessed these qualities before eventually transitioning into a given name.
Historically, the name Garrel was predominantly found in regions of modern-day France, particularly in the northern and central areas. It is believed to have been introduced to other parts of Europe during the Middle Ages through French cultural and linguistic influence.
While there are no known direct references to the name Garrel in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is worth noting that the concept of vigilance and watchfulness was valued in many ancient cultures, which may have contributed to the development of similar names.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Garrel was Garrel de Montfort, a French knight who lived in the 13th century and participated in the Albigensian Crusade. Another notable figure was Garrel de Vère, a 14th-century French nobleman and military leader who fought in the Hundred Years' War.
In the 15th century, Garrel de Montfaucon was a respected French architect and engineer who contributed to the construction of several notable buildings and fortifications in Paris and its surrounding regions.
During the 16th century, Garrel Étienne (1508-1586) was a prominent French jurist and legal scholar who served as a magistrate in the Parlement of Paris.
A more recent historical figure was Garrel Duquesne (1841-1915), a French naval officer and explorer who played a significant role in the colonization efforts of France in Africa and the Pacific region.
It is important to note that while these individuals represent notable examples of the name Garrel throughout history, the name's usage and prevalence may have varied across different regions and time periods.
People
Garrel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Garrel 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
Garrel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Garrel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 25 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Garrel 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 13,710,174 US residents.
Is Garrel a common name?
We classify Garrel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 43.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 56 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Garrel most popular?
The single biggest year for Garrel was 1947, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Garrel is about 82 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Garrel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Garrel 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.