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

Garrett, 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 Garrett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Garrett in America

Garrett is the 279th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Garrett surname appeared 110,697 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 38 people would have the surname Garrett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Garrett 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 Garrett

The surname Garrett has its roots in ancient France, emerging around the 11th century. It is believed to originate from the Germanic personal name "Gerard", which means "spear-brave" or "brave with the spear". This name was popularized in France during the Middle Ages, where it evolved into various spellings, including Garret, Garratt, and Garrett.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Garrett can be found in the famous Domesday Book, a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This document mentions individuals with the name Garret in several counties across England, indicating that the name had already spread beyond its French origins.

In the 13th century, the surname Garrett appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a census-like record of landowners and their holdings. This suggests that the Garrett family had established themselves as landowners in England by this time.

During the medieval period, the name was often associated with place names, such as Garrett's Green in Suffolk and Garrett's Hall in Essex. These place names likely derived from individuals named Garrett who once owned or resided in those locations.

One notable figure in history bearing the surname Garrett was John Garrett (1545-1617), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, from 1612 until his death.

In the 17th century, Robert Garrett (1592-1668) was a prominent English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1647. He played a crucial role in supporting the parliamentarian cause during the English Civil War.

Another significant figure was the English landscape architect and garden designer, John Garrett (1758-1847), who was known for his work on numerous estates across England, including Woburn Abbey and Chiswick House.

In the United States, the Garrett family gained prominence through Henry Garrett (1794-1856), a successful industrialist and founder of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, one of the earliest railroads in the country.

Lastly, John Work Garrett (1820-1884), an American businessman and philanthropist, played a pivotal role in the growth of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, serving as its president for over two decades.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have carried the surname Garrett, highlighting its rich heritage and enduring presence across various cultures and regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Garrett

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

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

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

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