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

Garita, 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 Garita surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Garita in America

Garita is the 48995th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Garita surname appeared 430 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Garita.

We can also compare 2010 data for Garita 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 Garita

The surname GARITA is believed to have originated in Spain, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. This name is thought to be derived from the Spanish word "garita," which means a small watchtower or sentry box. This suggests that the name might have initially been associated with individuals who lived or worked in such structures, perhaps as guards or sentries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname GARITA can be found in historical documents from the 14th century in the region of Andalusia, Spain. Interestingly, there are also mentions of the name in archival records from the 16th century in various parts of Spain, including Castile and Aragon.

While the GARITA surname does not appear to be directly linked to any specific place names, its widespread presence across different regions of Spain during the medieval and Renaissance periods indicates that it was likely a name adopted by individuals from various backgrounds and occupations.

Among the notable historical figures bearing the surname GARITA, one can mention Pedro de Garita (c. 1480-1556), a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in the early 16th century. Another individual of note was Juana de Garita (c. 1520-1582), a Spanish noblewoman and landowner who played a significant role in the colonization of the Canary Islands.

In the 17th century, the name GARITA can be found in records associated with Juan Garita (1612-1687), a Spanish military officer who served in the Thirty Years' War and later became the governor of the Canary Islands. Additionally, there was Diego Garita (1645-1718), a renowned Spanish architect who contributed to the design and construction of several notable buildings in Madrid and other cities.

Moving into the 18th century, one notable figure was Bernardo Garita (1732-1809), a Spanish botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of flora in the Americas, particularly in the regions of present-day Mexico and Central America.

While the surname GARITA has its roots firmly planted in Spain, over the centuries it has undoubtedly spread to other parts of the world, carried by individuals and families who migrated from the Iberian Peninsula. However, the exact details of its global diaspora and subsequent variations in spelling or pronunciation remain topics for further historical and genealogical exploration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Garita

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

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

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

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