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

Gardiner, 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 Gardiner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gardiner in America

Gardiner is the 3192nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gardiner surname appeared 11,331 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Gardiner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gardiner 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 Gardiner

The surname Gardiner originated in England during the medieval period. It derives from the Old French word "gardin" meaning garden, which in turn comes from the Frankish word "gardo" meaning an enclosed yard or garden. The name was an occupational surname given to those who worked as gardeners or tended gardens.

The earliest recorded instance of the Gardiner surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Gardin". This suggests that the name was already in use in England before the Norman Conquest of 1066. Over time, various spellings emerged, including Gardiner, Gardener, and Gardner.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Richard le Gardiner, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195. Another early record is of William le Gardiner, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275.

The Gardiner surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Gardiner's Green in Hampshire and Gardiner's Corner in Worcestershire. These locations likely derived their names from individuals with the Gardiner surname who lived or worked there.

Notable individuals with the Gardiner surname throughout history include:

1. Stephen Gardiner (c. 1493-1555), an English Catholic bishop and Lord Chancellor during the reign of Queen Mary I.

2. Samuel Rawson Gardiner (1829-1902), an English historian best known for his works on the English Civil War and the Commonwealth period.

3. Alan Henderson Gardiner (1879-1963), a British Egyptologist and philologist who made significant contributions to the study of Egyptian language and literature.

4. Amos Gardiner (1801-1882), an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Representative from New York.

5. Vivien Gardiner (1921-2005), an Austrian-born American actress and dancer who appeared in numerous Broadway musicals and films.

The Gardiner surname has a rich history dating back to medieval England and has been borne by notable individuals across various fields, from politics and religion to academia and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gardiner

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

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

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

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