Gartrell
An English surname transferred to a given name, meaning "from the ridge".
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Gartrell. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gartrell today is around 72 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gartrell births was 1916 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gartrell. 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 Gartrell is about 72 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Gartrells were born before 1964.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gartrell. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1916
5 babies that year
Average age
72
years old
1963 SSA rank
#4,268
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Gartrell: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gartrell from the 1910s through to the 1960s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gartrell 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 Gartrell 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 Gartrell
The given name Gartrell is an English surname that has been adopted as a first name. Its origins can be traced back to the Old English words "gara" meaning spear and "trel" meaning a woven branch or trellis. This suggests that the name may have been used to refer to someone who lived near a spear-shaped trellis or fence.
The earliest recorded use of Gartrell as a surname dates back to the 13th century in England. It was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where it was often spelled as Garthrell or Garthel. The surname may have been initially given as a descriptive name to someone who lived near a distinctive spear-shaped trellis or fence.
While there are no significant historical references to the name Gartrell in ancient texts or religious scriptures, there have been notable individuals who have borne this name throughout history. One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Gartrell was John Gartrell, a English landowner who lived in the late 16th century.
Another notable figure was William Gartrell, an English author and playwright who lived in the 17th century. He is best known for his work "The Souldiers Accidence," a satirical play that criticized the military's treatment of common soldiers during the English Civil War.
In the 18th century, there was Elizabeth Gartrell, a prominent English philanthropist who founded several charitable organizations dedicated to helping the poor and underprivileged in London.
Moving into the 19th century, we have Reverend John Gartrell, an influential English clergyman and writer who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham from 1825 to 1855.
Finally, in the 20th century, there was Lucius Gartrell, an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Georgia State Senate from 1941 to 1957.
While these are some notable individuals who have borne the name Gartrell throughout history, it is important to note that the use of Gartrell as a first name is a relatively modern phenomenon, as it was traditionally used as a surname.
People
Gartrell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gartrell 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
Gartrell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gartrell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gartrell 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Gartrell a common name?
We classify Gartrell as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gartrell most popular?
The single biggest year for Gartrell was 1916, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gartrell is about 72 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 Gartrell in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gartrell a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gartrell 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 Gartrell still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gartrell 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 Gartrell 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 Gartrell?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Gartrell at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.