2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Garfin
An occupational surname originating from the Old French word "garin" meaning keeper or protector of a woodland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Garfin. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Garfin surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Garfin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Garfin, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (13.2%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Garfin
The surname GARFIN is believed to have originated in Yorkshire, England, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "gara" meaning "triangular piece of land" and "fin" meaning "boundary or border," suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a triangular-shaped plot of land or boundary.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GARFIN can be found in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1301, where a William de Garfin is mentioned. This document recorded the transfer of land ownership and property transactions, indicating that the GARFIN family may have held some form of land or property during that time.
In the 14th century, the GARFIN name appeared in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1379, listing a John Garfyn as a taxpayer. This record provides evidence of the family's presence and their contribution to the local economy during that period.
Historically, the GARFIN name has been associated with various locations in Yorkshire, including Garforth and Garforth Main, which may have influenced the spelling variations of the name over time. Some notable individuals with the GARFIN surname include:
1. Thomas Garfin (1635-1698), an English clergyman and author known for his religious writings and sermons.
2. William Garfin (1760-1834), a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Knaresborough from 1807 to 1834.
3. Elizabeth Garfin (1790-1867), a philanthropist and social reformer from Yorkshire, who dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of the poor and advocating for women's rights.
4. John Garfin (1822-1899), a prominent industrialist and entrepreneur from Leeds, Yorkshire, who established a successful textile manufacturing company in the mid-19th century.
5. Robert Garfin (1876-1942), a British architect known for his work on several notable buildings in Yorkshire, including the Leeds City Varieties Music Hall and the Harrogate Pump Room.
While the GARFIN surname may not be as widely recognized as some other English surnames, it has a rich history rooted in Yorkshire and has been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Garfin
Among Census respondents with the surname Garfin, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (13.2%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Garfin bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Garfin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.9% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander13.2% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 5
- Two or more races4.1% · 5
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Garfin
Garfin appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+14 bearers (+13.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,871 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+3 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 169 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.5%) | Up 4,871 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 169 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Garfin surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #141,140 | #141,309 | -0.1% |
| Count | 118 | 121 | 2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Garfin bearers went from 118 to 121 (+2.5% change). The surname moved down 169 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #141,309.
FAQ
Garfin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Garfin?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Garfin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Garfin?
Garfin ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Garfin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Garfin.
Has Garfin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Garfin went from 118 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 3 (+2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Garfin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Garfin, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (13.2%) and Hispanic (4.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Garfin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.9% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Garfin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (13.2%), Hispanic (4.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Garfin (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Garfin mean?
An occupational surname originating from the Old French word "garin" meaning keeper or protector of a woodland. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Garfin (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Garfin?
Want to know how many people have the last name Garfin? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.