2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Garns
A topographic surname referring to one who lived near gorse or broom bushes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Garns. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Garns 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.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Garns in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Garns, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.0%) and Hispanic (8.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Garns
The surname Garns is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the northern regions near the Baltic Sea. It is thought to have derived from the Old German word "garn," meaning "yarn" or "thread," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have been involved in the textile or weaving industry.
The name Garns can be traced back to the 13th century, with some of the earliest recorded instances appearing in medieval manuscripts from the towns of Lübeck and Hamburg. These records often refer to individuals involved in the production or trade of textiles, lending credence to the theory of the name's occupational origins.
In the 15th century, the Garns surname appeared in the Breviarium Lubicense, a historical document from the city of Lübeck. This record mentions a certain Hermannus Garns, who was a prominent merchant and landowner in the region.
One of the earliest known individuals bearing the surname Garns was Hans Garns (c. 1470-1535), a German painter and woodcarver from the city of Nuremberg. His works, which included altarpieces and religious sculptures, can still be found in churches and museums across Germany.
Another notable bearer of the Garns surname was Johann Garns (1592-1653), a Lutheran theologian and author from the German city of Rostock. His most famous work, "Dissertatio de Philosophia Morali," was a influential treatise on moral philosophy and ethics.
In the 18th century, the name Garns appeared in the town records of Altona, a settlement near Hamburg. These records mention a family named Garns who were successful merchants and traders, with their name often associated with the textile and yarn trade.
The 19th century saw the emergence of Friedrich Garns (1815-1892), a German botanist and explorer who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in South Africa. He was responsible for discovering and cataloging numerous new species of plants during his expeditions across the region.
Another notable figure with the surname Garns was Wilhelm Garns (1869-1945), a German engineer and inventor who played a pivotal role in the development of early motion picture technology. His innovations in film projection and camera design were instrumental in the growth of the cinema industry in the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Garns
Among Census respondents with the surname Garns, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.0%) and Hispanic (8.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Garns 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 Garns surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.9% · 85
- Black or African American13.0% · 15
- Hispanic or Latino8.7% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 4
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Garns
Garns 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,695 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+6 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,695 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,695 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.5%) | Up 4,695 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 Garns 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 | #150,452 | #145,757 | 3.1% |
| Count | 109 | 115 | 5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Garns bearers went from 109 to 115 (+5.5% change). The surname moved up 4,695 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #145,757.
FAQ
Garns surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Garns?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Garns. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Garns?
Garns ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Garns. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Garns.
Has Garns become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Garns went from 109 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 6 (+5.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Garns?
Among Census respondents with the surname Garns, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.0%) and Hispanic (8.7%). 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 Garns in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.9% (85 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Garns appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.9%), Black (13.0%), Hispanic (8.7%). 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 Garns (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 Garns mean?
A topographic surname referring to one who lived near gorse or broom bushes. 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 Garns (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 have the last name Garns?
You can see how common the surname Garns is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.