Garritt
Variant spelling of the French name Gerard, meaning strong with the spear.
Name Census estimates that about 194 living Americans carry the first name Garritt. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Garritt today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Garritt births was 1994 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Garritt. 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
194
~ 1 in 1,766,775 Americans
Peak year
1994
12 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
2010 SSA rank
#12,901
Tracked since 1965
Popularity
Garritt: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Garritt from the 1960s through to the 2010s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 78 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
Garritt 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 Garritt 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 Garritt
The name Garritt is a variation of the Germanic name Gerhard, which originated in the 8th century. It is derived from the Old German words "gari" meaning "spear" and "hartu" meaning "hardy" or "brave". Garritt was initially popular among the Franks and later spread throughout central and western Europe.
In the Middle Ages, the name Garritt was associated with knights and warriors, as it embodied the qualities of strength and courage. It appeared in several medieval texts and chronicles, particularly those documenting battles and military campaigns. The earliest recorded mention of the name dates back to the 10th century.
One notable individual bearing the name Garritt was Garritt von Schönburg, a German nobleman and military leader who lived in the 13th century. He fought in the Crusades and was renowned for his bravery on the battlefield. Another historical figure was Garritt Kemperdick, a Dutch merchant and explorer who traveled to the East Indies in the 16th century.
In the 17th century, Garritt Dou, a Dutch Golden Age painter, gained fame for his exquisite portraits and genre scenes. His works are admired for their intricate details and masterful use of light and shadow. Garritt Dou lived from 1613 to 1675.
Moving to the 19th century, Garritt Smith was an American philanthropist and social reformer who actively advocated for the abolition of slavery. He was born in 1797 and played a significant role in the Underground Railroad, helping enslaved individuals escape to freedom.
In the realm of literature, Garritt Byrnes was an Irish-American author and journalist who lived from 1861 to 1935. He wrote several novels and short stories, capturing the experiences of Irish immigrants in the United States.
While the name Garritt has fallen out of widespread use in recent times, its historical roots and meaning continue to resonate with qualities of courage, strength, and determination.
People
Garritt + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Garritt 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
Garritt: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Garritt?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 194 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Garritt 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 1,766,775 US residents.
Is Garritt a common name?
We classify Garritt as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 200 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Garritt most popular?
The single biggest year for Garritt was 1994, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Garritt is about 31 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Garritt a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Garritt 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.