2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Garnham
A locational surname derived from a place name in Suffolk, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 188 Americans carry the last name Garnham. That puts it at #113,565 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,823,161 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Garnham 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 Garnham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
188
1 in 1,823,161
Census rank
#113,565
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
164
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 164 bearers of the surname Garnham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 113565th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Garnham, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Garnham
The surname GARNHAM has its origins in England, specifically in the counties of Suffolk and Essex. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "garan" meaning a triangular piece of land and "ham" meaning a homestead or village. This suggests that the name originated as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived in a particular village or area with a triangular shape.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname GARNHAM can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Geranham." This entry suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 11th century. However, variations in spelling were common during this period, and the name appears in different forms in historical records, such as "Garnham," "Garneham," and "Gernham."
One of the earliest documented individuals bearing the surname GARNHAM was William de Garnham, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Suffolk in 1199. These rolls were financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, further indicating that the name was well-established in the region by the late 12th century.
In the 13th century, the surname GARNHAM can be found in various historical records, including the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1240, which mentions a William de Garnham. The Feet of Fines were legal records documenting land transactions, suggesting that the family was involved in landownership during this period.
A notable individual with the surname GARNHAM was Sir Thomas Garnham (1551-1619), who served as the Sheriff of Suffolk in 1600. He was a member of the landed gentry and owned properties in the county.
Another prominent figure was John Garnham (1642-1712), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Norwich and the Rector of Lowestoft. He was a renowned scholar and author, publishing works on theology and history.
In the 18th century, Samuel Garnham (1725-1793) was a successful merchant and landowner in Suffolk. He was involved in the wool trade and owned several properties in the county.
Throughout the 19th century, the GARNHAM surname continued to be well-represented in various professions and industries. One notable individual was William Garnham (1810-1888), a British architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.
Despite its relatively localized origins, the surname GARNHAM has spread across various parts of the world, particularly through migration and emigration from England. It continues to be a recognizable surname, with a rich historical legacy rooted in the villages and communities of Suffolk and Essex.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Garnham
Among Census respondents with the surname Garnham, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Garnham 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 Garnham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 149
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 7
- Two or more races3.7% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Garnham
Garnham 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
-2 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,672 places
2020
#113,565
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 164
+36 bearers (+28.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 18,641 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.5%) | Down 9,672 places |
| 2020 | #113,565 | 164 | 0.05 | +36 bearers (+28.1%) | Up 18,641 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 Garnham 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 | #132,206 | #113,565 | 14.1% |
| Count | 128 | 164 | 28.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 37.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Garnham bearers went from 128 to 164 (+28.1% change). The surname moved up 18,641 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #113,565.
FAQ
Garnham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Garnham?
Name Census estimates that about 188 living Americans carry the surname Garnham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,823,161 residents.
How common is Garnham?
Garnham ranks #113,565 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 164 people with the surname Garnham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (188), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Garnham.
Has Garnham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Garnham went from 128 recorded bearers to 164. That is an increase of 36 (+28.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #132,206 to #113,565.
What does the Census say about the background of Garnham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Garnham, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Garnham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (149 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Garnham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Garnham (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 Garnham mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name in Suffolk, England. 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 Garnham (0.05 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 have the surname Garnham?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.