2000
#253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107,777
First available Census row
Per 100,000 39.95
Common Last name
Garrett
An occupational surname referring to a person who made or managed military equipment, such as spears, arrows, and armor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117,693 Americans carry the last name Garrett. That puts it at #301 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 34.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,912 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Garrett 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 Garrett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
118K
1 in 2,912
Census rank
#301
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
34.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102,634 bearers of the surname Garrett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 34.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 301st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Garrett, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.9%. The next largest groups are Black (24.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Garrett
Among Census respondents with the surname Garrett, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.9%. The next largest groups are Black (24.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Garrett 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 Garrett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.9% · 68,633
- Black or African American24.1% · 24,706
- Two or more races4.7% · 4,810
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 3,253
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 635
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 597
Timeline
Historical Census data for Garrett
Garrett 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
#279
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110,697
+2,920 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 37.53
Rank movement Down 26 places
2020
#301
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102,634
-8,063 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 34.34
Rank movement Down 22 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #253 | 107,777 | 39.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #279 | 110,697 | 37.53 | +2,920 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 26 places |
| 2020 | #301 | 102,634 | 34.34 | -8,063 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 22 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 Garrett 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 | #279 | #301 | -7.9% |
| Count | 110,697 | 102,634 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 37.53 | 34.34 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Garrett bearers went from 110,697 to 102,634 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 22 positions in the national ranking, going from #279 to #301.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Garrett
FAQ
Garrett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Garrett?
Name Census estimates that about 117,693 living Americans carry the surname Garrett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,912 residents.
How common is Garrett?
Garrett ranks #301 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 34.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 34 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 102,634 people with the surname Garrett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117,693), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 34.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 34.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 34 of them to have the surname Garrett.
Has Garrett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Garrett went from 110,697 recorded bearers to 102,634. That is a decrease of 8,063 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #279 to #301.
What does the Census say about the background of Garrett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Garrett, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.9%. The next largest groups are Black (24.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Garrett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.9% (68,633 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Garrett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.9%), Black (24.1%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Garrett (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 Garrett mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who made or managed military equipment, such as spears, arrows, and armor. 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 Garrett (34.34 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 Garrett?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Garrett on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.