2000
#99,214
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 169
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Garrington
A locational surname originating from a place named Garrington in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 218 Americans carry the last name Garrington. That puts it at #101,282 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,572,268 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Garrington 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 Garrington with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
218
1 in 1,572,268
Census rank
#101,282
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
190
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 190 bearers of the surname Garrington in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 101282nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Garrington, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Black (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Garrington
The surname GARRINGTON is of English origin, derived from the medieval place name "Garrington" in Yorkshire. This place name is believed to have evolved from the Old English words "gara" meaning triangular piece of land, and "ing" denoting a meadow or enclosure.
The earliest known record of the surname dates back to the late 12th century, appearing in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1197 as "Robert de Garrington". This suggests that the surname was initially adopted by families residing in or near the village of Garrington.
In the 13th century, the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners and tenants in England. The entry "Robertus de Garyngton" likely refers to a descendant of the aforementioned Robert de Garrington.
During the 14th century, the surname appears in various spellings, including "Garyngton", "Garryngton", and "Garyngeton", reflecting the evolving nature of English orthography at the time.
One notable bearer of the name was Sir William Garrington (c.1380-1459), a distinguished knight who served under King Henry V during the Hundred Years' War. He was rewarded with lands in Northamptonshire for his loyal service.
Another prominent figure was John Garrington (c.1520-1586), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the City of London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was also a benefactor of Christ's Hospital, a renowned school for underprivileged children.
In the 17th century, the surname is found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire, with the baptism of "Johanna Garrington" recorded in 1612.
During the English Civil War (1642-1651), a Captain Thomas Garrington (c.1610-1678) is documented as serving in the Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell's command.
By the 18th century, the surname had spread across England, with records indicating Garringtons residing in various counties, including Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Lancashire.
One notable individual from this period was Reverend William Garrington (1715-1791), a respected clergyman and author who published several theological works and sermons.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Garrington
Among Census respondents with the surname Garrington, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Black (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Garrington 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 Garrington surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 173
- Two or more races4.7% · 9
- Black or African American3.2% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Garrington
Garrington 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
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
-29 bearers (-17.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 23,850 places
2020
#101,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 190
+50 bearers (+35.7%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 21,782 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #99,214 | 169 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | -29 bearers (-17.2%) | Down 23,850 places |
| 2020 | #101,282 | 190 | 0.06 | +50 bearers (+35.7%) | Up 21,782 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 Garrington 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 | #123,064 | #101,282 | 17.7% |
| Count | 140 | 190 | 35.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.06 | 27.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Garrington bearers went from 140 to 190 (+35.7% change). The surname moved up 21,782 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #101,282.
FAQ
Garrington surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Garrington?
Name Census estimates that about 218 living Americans carry the surname Garrington. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,572,268 residents.
How common is Garrington?
Garrington ranks #101,282 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 190 people with the surname Garrington. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (218), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Garrington.
Has Garrington become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Garrington went from 140 recorded bearers to 190. That is an increase of 50 (+35.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #123,064 to #101,282.
What does the Census say about the background of Garrington?
Among Census respondents with the surname Garrington, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Black (3.2%). 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 Garrington in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (173 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Garrington appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Black (3.2%). 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 Garrington (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 Garrington mean?
A locational surname originating from a place named Garrington in England. 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 Garrington (0.06 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 Garrington?
Find out how common the surname Garrington is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.