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

Gardener, 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 Gardener surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gardener in America

Gardener is the 13843rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gardener surname appeared 2,184 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Gardener.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gardener 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.

The history of the last name Gardener

The surname Gardener is an occupational name derived from the Old English words 'gard' meaning yard or garden, and 'ner' meaning keeper. It originated in England and referred to someone who tended to and maintained gardens, particularly those belonging to estates, castles, or religious establishments.

The earliest known record of the surname Gardener dates back to the late 12th century in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire. This document mentions a William le Gardiner who was likely responsible for maintaining the gardens of a local noble or monastery.

During the Middle Ages, the Gardener surname was found in various English records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed a Robert le Gardiner in Oxfordshire. The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain the surname Gardener, but it does reference individuals with occupations related to gardening, such as horticularii and vinitores.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in the form Gardenere, as seen in the records of the Poll Tax of 1379 in Lincolnshire. This variant spelling reflects the evolution of the English language over time.

One notable person with the surname Gardener was John Gardener, a 16th-century English clergyman and author who served as Bishop of Winchester from 1534 to 1555. Another was Stephen Gardiner (c. 1495-1555), an influential English scholar, diplomat, and Bishop of Winchester during the reigns of Henry VIII and Mary I.

In Scotland, the Gardener surname can be traced back to the 15th century, with records showing a John Gardener in Aberdeen in 1489. The surname was also present in various locations throughout Scotland, including Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and Renfrewshire.

Other notable individuals with the surname Gardener include Samuel Rawson Gardiner (1829-1902), an English historian and writer, and John Gardiner (c. 1530-1592), an English composer and musician during the Renaissance period.

Over time, the surname Gardener has also evolved into various spellings, such as Gardner, Gardiner, and Gardener, reflecting regional variations and changes in language and orthography.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gardener

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

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 Gardener was:

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 Gardener has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Gardener was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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