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

Garfield, 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 Garfield surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Garfield in America

Garfield is the 7492nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Garfield surname appeared 4,447 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Garfield.

We can also compare 2010 data for Garfield 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 Garfield

The surname Garfield is of English origin and is believed to have emerged in the late 12th century. It is a locational surname derived from the Old English words "gara" meaning "triangular piece of land" and "feld" meaning "field." The name likely originated in the village of Garforth in West Yorkshire, England, which was recorded as Gareford in the Domesday Book of 1086.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Garfield can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1203, where a Hugo de Gareford is mentioned. The surname was initially spelled in various forms, such as Garford, Gareford, and Garforth, before evolving into its modern spelling.

In the 13th century, a Henry de Garford was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire from 1286. The name also appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a John de Garford was listed.

One notable bearer of the surname Garfield was Sir Thomas Garfield (c. 1493-1558), who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1555. Another prominent figure was Samuel Garfield (1595-1672), an English Puritan clergyman and author who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636.

In the United States, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Garfield was James A. Garfield (1831-1881), the 20th President of the United States. He was born in Orange, Ohio, and served as a major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War before entering politics.

Other notable Garfields include John Garfield (1913-1952), an American actor known for his roles in classic films such as "The Postman Always Rings Twice" and "Body and Soul," and Cyril Garfield (1892-1939), a British actor and screenwriter who appeared in several silent films and early talkies.

The Garfield surname has also been associated with literary figures, such as Helen Garfield (1877-1966), an American poet and playwright, and William Garfield (1899-1966), an American author and journalist who wrote for The New Yorker and other publications.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Garfield

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

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

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

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