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

Garey, 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 Garey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Garey in America

Garey is the 11377th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Garey surname appeared 2,772 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 Garey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Garey 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 Garey

The surname Garey originated from the French language in the late medieval period. It is a habitational name, derived from the town of Garaye in Normandy, France. The place-name itself comes from the Old French word 'gara', meaning a thicket or a dense growth of bushes.

The earliest known record of the surname is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'de Gara'. This suggests that the name was likely brought to England by Norman settlers following the conquest of 1066. Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form of Garey.

In the 13th century, records show a Robert de Garey as a landowner in Buckinghamshire, England. This indicates that the name had spread beyond its Norman origins and become established in various parts of the country.

The name Garey has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure was Sir Thomas Garey, a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century (1761-1823).

Another prominent bearer of the name was John Garey, an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania in the late 18th century (1744-1809).

In the realm of literature, the author and poet Caroline Garey (1866-1944) made significant contributions to the literary scene of her time.

The name also has connections to the world of science, with the British zoologist and naturalist George Robert Garey (1807-1883) being a notable figure in his field.

Lastly, the American businessman and entrepreneur Elbert H. Garey (1882-1962) left his mark in the early 20th century through his successful business ventures.

While the surname Garey may not be as common today as it once was, its long history and diverse origins serve as a testament to the rich tapestry of cultural influences that have shaped many family names over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Garey

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Garey, 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!