2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Garfoot
A surname derived from a nickname for someone with large or misshapen feet.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Garfoot. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Garfoot 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Garfoot with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Garfoot in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Garfoot, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Garfoot
The surname Garfoot is thought to have originated in England, with its roots traced back to the Middle English period. It is believed to be a locational surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone who lived near a ford or crossing in an area known as "Gar."
One of the earliest records of the name Garfoot can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire from 1327, where a John Garfot is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.
During the 14th century, the name appears in various historical documents, such as the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, which reference a Thomas Garfote. This suggests that the surname was well-established in different regions of England by this time.
In the 15th century, the name Garfoot is recorded in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1428, where a William Garfote is listed. This variation in spelling further illustrates the fluidity of surnames during this period.
One notable individual bearing the surname Garfoot was Robert Garfoot, born in 1588 in Lincolnshire, England. He was a renowned scholar and mathematician who authored several works on arithmetic and navigation.
Another prominent figure was Sir John Garfoot, born in 1675 in Somersetshire. He served as a member of parliament and was actively involved in local politics during the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
In the 18th century, the name Garfoot is found in various parish records across England. For instance, the baptismal records of St. Mary's Church in Lancashire mention a family by the name of Garfoot in 1732.
Moving into the 19th century, the 1841 census of England and Wales lists several Garfoot families, indicating the continued presence of this surname across the country.
One noteworthy individual from this era was William Garfoot, born in 1805 in Lincolnshire. He was a renowned architect and designed several churches and public buildings in the region.
As the centuries passed, the Garfoot surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, writers, and professionals, contributing to the rich tapestry of English history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Garfoot
Among Census respondents with the surname Garfoot, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Garfoot 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 Garfoot surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 109
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Garfoot
Garfoot 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-3 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,927 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-4 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,184 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 10,927 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 6,184 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 Garfoot 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 | #137,327 | #143,511 | -4.5% |
| Count | 122 | 118 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Garfoot bearers went from 122 to 118 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 6,184 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #143,511.
FAQ
Garfoot surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Garfoot?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Garfoot. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Garfoot?
Garfoot ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Garfoot. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Garfoot.
Has Garfoot become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Garfoot went from 122 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Garfoot?
Among Census respondents with the surname Garfoot, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Garfoot in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Garfoot appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Black (1.7%). 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 Garfoot (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 Garfoot mean?
A surname derived from a nickname for someone with large or misshapen feet. 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 Garfoot (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 share the surname Garfoot?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.