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

Garretson, 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 Garretson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Garretson in America

Garretson is the 8681st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Garretson surname appeared 3,784 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Garretson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Garretson 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 Garretson

The surname Garretson is believed to have originated in the Netherlands, specifically in the Friesland region. It likely dates back to the 16th or 17th century. The name is thought to be derived from the old Frisian words "Gerryt" or "Gerrit," which were variations of the name Gerard, and the suffix "-son," meaning "son of." This suggests that the name originally referred to the son of someone named Gerard or Gerrit.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Dutch records from the city of Leeuwarden in Friesland, where a family named Garretson is mentioned in the late 1600s. It's possible that the name was initially associated with a particular occupation or location, as was common with many surnames during that time.

The Garretson name made its way to North America with Dutch settlers who emigrated to the New Netherland colony, which later became part of New York and New Jersey. One notable early bearer of the name was Reverend John Garretson, who was born in 1683 in the Netherlands and later became a prominent minister in the Dutch Reformed Church in America.

Another prominent figure with the surname Garretson was James Edmund Garretson, who was born in 1828 in New Jersey. He served as a Union Army officer during the American Civil War and later became a successful lawyer and businessman.

In the 19th century, the Garretson family established itself in various parts of the United States, particularly in the Midwest and Western regions. Notable individuals include:

1. John Garretson (1786-1858), a politician from Ohio who served in the United States House of Representatives.
2. Isaac D. Garretson (1822-1901), a pioneer and early settler in California who founded the town of Haywards, now part of Hayward, California.
3. Elbert Garretson (1846-1924), a businessman and philanthropist from Kansas who played a significant role in the development of the city of Topeka.
4. Wilbur E. Garretson (1895-1976), an American banker and businessman who served as the president of the First National Bank of San Diego, California.
5. Rembert Garretson (1901-1989), a renowned American artist and painter known for his landscapes and rural scenes.

While the Garretson name has its roots in the Netherlands, it has since become a part of the cultural tapestry of various countries, particularly in North America, where descendants of the original Dutch settlers have made significant contributions across various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Garretson

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

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

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

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