2000
#9,041
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,324
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.23
Rare Last name
Garren
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Gearáin," meaning "descendant of Gearán," a personal name meaning "grumpy" or "complaining."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,492 Americans carry the last name Garren. That puts it at #10,091 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,154 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Garren 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
3.5K
1 in 98,154
Census rank
#10,091
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,045 bearers of the surname Garren in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10091st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Garren, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Garren
The surname Garren has its origins in Ireland, where it first emerged in the early medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic word "garbhán," meaning "little rough one" or "little rough-headed one." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname or a descriptive term for someone with unruly or coarse hair.
The earliest recorded instances of the Garren surname can be traced back to the 12th century in various Irish annals and records. It was particularly prevalent in the counties of Cork, Kerry, and Limerick, where it was associated with families of Gaelic-Irish descent.
In the 16th century, the Garren surname appeared in the "Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns," a collection of records documenting royal grants and administrative decisions in Ireland during the Tudor period. This indicates that individuals bearing this surname held positions of some prominence or landholdings at the time.
One of the earliest known individuals with the Garren surname was Dermot Garren, a prominent landowner in County Cork in the late 16th century. His descendants continued to hold lands in the area for several generations.
Another notable figure was Brian Garren, born in 1625 in County Kerry, who was a scholar and poet renowned for his mastery of the Irish language and literature. His works have been preserved in various manuscripts and collections.
In the 18th century, the Garren surname gained further recognition with the birth of John Garren (1720-1798), a prominent merchant and landowner in County Limerick. His son, Michael Garren (1756-1832), continued the family's legacy as a successful businessman and philanthropist.
During the 19th century, the Garren surname expanded its reach as Irish emigrants settled in various parts of the world, including North America and Australia. Notable individuals from this period include Patrick Garren (1832-1901), an influential journalist and editor in New York City, and Mary Garren (1845-1920), a pioneering educator and women's rights advocate in California.
While the Garren surname has its roots in Ireland, it has also been adopted and adapted in other regions, such as Scotland and England, where variations like Garren, Garron, and Garrin exist. However, the historical records indicate that the name's origins can be traced back to the Gaelic-speaking regions of Ireland in the early medieval period.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Garren
Among Census respondents with the surname Garren, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Garren 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 Garren surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 2,747
- Two or more races4.3% · 130
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 106
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 20
- Black or African American0.6% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Garren
Garren 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
#9,552
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,403
+79 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Down 511 places
2020
#10,091
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,045
-358 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 539 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,041 | 3,324 | 1.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,552 | 3,403 | 1.15 | +79 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 511 places |
| 2020 | #10,091 | 3,045 | 1.02 | -358 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 539 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 Garren 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 | #9,552 | #10,091 | -5.6% |
| Count | 3,403 | 3,045 | -10.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.15 | 1.02 | -11.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Garren bearers went from 3,403 to 3,045 (-10.5% change). The surname moved down 539 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,552 to #10,091.
FAQ
Garren surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Garren?
Name Census estimates that about 3,492 living Americans carry the surname Garren. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,154 residents.
How common is Garren?
Garren ranks #10,091 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,045 people with the surname Garren. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,492), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Garren.
Has Garren become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Garren went from 3,403 recorded bearers to 3,045. That is a decrease of 358 (-10.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,552 to #10,091.
What does the Census say about the background of Garren?
Among Census respondents with the surname Garren, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Garren in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (2,747 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Garren appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Garren (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 Garren mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Gearáin," meaning "descendant of Gearán," a personal name meaning "grumpy" or "complaining." 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 Garren (1.02 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 are called Garren?
Want to know how many people have the surname Garren? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.