Garling last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Garling

An English surname derived from an Old English personal name meaning "descended from foreigners".

Garling, 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 Garling surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Garling in America

Garling is the 21986th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Garling surname appeared 1,180 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 Garling.

We can also compare 2010 data for Garling 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 21986 23480 -6.57%
Count 1,180 1,009 15.62%
Proportion per 100k 0.40 0.37 7.79%

The history of the last name Garling

The surname GARLING is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is believed to have originated in the region of Cambridgeshire, England, around the 13th or 14th century.

The name GARLING is thought to be a locational surname, derived from a place name or geographical feature. One theory suggests that it may have originated from the Old English word "gara," meaning "triangular piece of land," combined with the suffix "-ling," indicating a diminutive or "little." This could potentially refer to a small triangular plot of land or a specific location.

Another possible etymology links GARLING to the Old English word "gearr," meaning "spear" or "javelin," with the suffix "-ling" denoting "descendant of" or "dweller at." This interpretation suggests that the name may have been associated with someone who was a skilled spearman or lived near a place associated with spear-making or hunting.

Early recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents. One notable mention is in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where the name appears as "Gerlinge." This record suggests that the name was already in use during the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname GARLING appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1327, listed as "Gerlynge." This variation in spelling was common during that time period, as standardized spellings were not yet established.

Among the notable individuals bearing the surname GARLING throughout history are:

  1. Robert Garling (c. 1580 - 1647), an English clergyman who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
  2. John Garling (1612 - 1679), an English merchant and landowner from Huntingdonshire, known for his extensive trade with the Netherlands.
  3. Elizabeth Garling (1638 - 1717), a philanthropist from Cambridgeshire who established a fund to support poor families in her local community.
  4. William Garling (1765 - 1848), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and rose to the rank of Rear Admiral.
  5. Sir Thomas Garling (1810 - 1892), a British civil engineer and architect who oversaw the construction of several notable landmarks in London, including the Royal Albert Hall.

While the surname GARLING is not among the most common in England, it has left its mark on the historical records, reflecting the rich heritage and diverse origins of English surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Garling

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

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 Garling was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 92.29% 1,089
Non-Hispanic Black Only 3.56% 42
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.19% 14
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.51% 6
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.27% 15
Hispanic Origin 1.19% 14

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 Garling has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 92.29% 93.56% -1.37%
Black 3.56% 4.06% -13.12%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.19% 0.69% 53.19%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.51% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.27% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 1.19% 0.99% 18.35%

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

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

"Garling last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/garling-surname-popularity/.

"Garling last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/garling-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Garling last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/garling-surname-popularity/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.