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

Garnett, 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 Garnett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Garnett in America

Garnett is the 3445th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Garnett surname appeared 10,370 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Garnett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Garnett 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 Garnett

The surname Garnett is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "garnet," which refers to the deep red gemstone of the same name. This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a descriptive nickname to someone with red hair or a ruddy complexion.

Garnett is also sometimes associated with the town of Guernsey, an island in the English Channel. While the connection is not definitive, some sources suggest that the name may have originated from this location, with early spellings including "Garnesey" or "Garnesy."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Garnett can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a "William Garnet." The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a "Robert Garnet" is listed.

The Garnett family has a long history in England, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One prominent figure was Thomas Garnett (c. 1575-1661), an English clergyman and academic who served as the headmaster of Ipswich School and later became a Canon of Norwich Cathedral.

Another famous Garnett was Richard Garnett (1835-1906), an English writer, librarian, and biographer. He served as the Keeper of Printed Books at the British Museum and was a prolific author, publishing works on English literature, biography, and literary criticism.

In the realm of politics, Robert Garnett (1819-1873) was a prominent figure in the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. He served as a general in the Confederate Army and was killed in action during the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.

The Garnett name also has connections to the world of art and culture. Edward Garnett (1868-1937) was an influential English writer, literary critic, and publisher's reader. He played a significant role in promoting the works of authors such as D.H. Lawrence, Joseph Conrad, and W.B. Yeats.

Finally, one cannot overlook the contributions of Constance Garnett (1861-1946), an English translator who introduced many Russian literary masterpieces to the English-speaking world. Her translations of works by authors like Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Anton Chekhov were instrumental in popularizing Russian literature in the West.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Garnett

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

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

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

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