Garan last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Garan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Garan.

Meaning of Garan

A surname possibly derived from the Spanish word "garra" meaning "claw" or "grasp".

Garan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Garan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Garan in America

Garan is the 93513th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Garan surname appeared 196 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Garan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Garan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 93513 84310 10.35%
Count 196 207 -5.46%
Proportion per 100k 0.07 0.08 -13.33%

The history of the last name Garan

The surname Garan has its origins in the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France. It is believed to have derived from the Basque word "garan," which means "mountain peak" or "summit." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived in or near mountainous areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Garan can be traced back to the 13th century in the village of Gares, located in the French Basque Country. The name was documented in local parish records and land registries, indicating the presence of families bearing this surname in the area.

During the Middle Ages, the Garan name appeared in various historical documents, including tax records and legal proceedings. One notable example is the Cartulaire de Sorde, a medieval manuscript from the 14th century, which contains references to individuals with the surname Garan in the Basque region.

In the 16th century, the surname Garan gained prominence with the birth of Juan de Garan (1523-1587), a Spanish nobleman and military commander who served under King Philip II of Spain. He played a significant role in the Spanish conquest of the Philippines and was appointed as the first governor of the Spanish East Indies.

Another influential figure with the Garan surname was Marianne Garan (1768-1835), a French politician and feminist during the French Revolution. She was actively involved in the women's rights movement and advocated for equal rights and education for women.

The Garan name also made its mark in literature with the Spanish author and poet, Miguel Garan (1842-1912). His works, which included novels, short stories, and poetry, explored themes of Basque culture and identity.

In more recent history, Julio Garan (1918-2003) was a renowned Spanish architect known for his innovative designs and contributions to modern architecture in Spain and abroad.

Throughout its history, the surname Garan has maintained a strong connection to its Basque roots, reflecting the cultural and linguistic heritage of the region. While the name has spread globally, its origins can be traced back to the mountainous landscapes of northern Spain and southwestern France, where the earliest records of this surname can be found.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Garan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Garan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Garan was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 67.35% 132
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 14.80% 29
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 8.67% 17
Hispanic Origin 8.67% 17

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Garan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 67.35% 77.78% -14.37%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 14.80% 8.21% 57.28%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 8.67% 4.83% 56.89%
Hispanic 8.67% 8.70% -0.35%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Garan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Garan, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Garan last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on April 27, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/garan-surname-popularity/.

"Garan last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/garan-surname-popularity/. Accessed 27 April, 2025

Garan last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/garan-surname-popularity/.

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