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

Garrison, 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 Garrison surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Garrison in America

Garrison is the 677th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Garrison surname appeared 50,686 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 17 people would have the surname Garrison.

We can also compare 2010 data for Garrison 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 Garrison

The surname Garrison originates from the French language and can be traced back to the 11th century in Normandy, France. The name is derived from the Old French word "garir," meaning "to protect" or "to defend," combined with the word "son," indicating a profession or occupation. It likely referred to a person who guarded or protected a specific location or fortress.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Garrison can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England. The name appears as "Garissun" in this historical document, indicating its presence in England during the Norman period.

In the 13th century, the surname Garrison was associated with various place names in England, such as Garston in Hertfordshire and Garsdon in Wiltshire. These place names often derived from the Old English words "gaer" and "tun," meaning "triangular piece of land" and "settlement," respectively.

Notable individuals with the surname Garrison throughout history include:

1. William Lloyd Garrison (1805-1879), a prominent American abolitionist and social reformer, known for his unwavering stance against slavery and his publication of the anti-slavery newspaper "The Liberator."

2. Lindley Miller Garrison (1864-1932), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 47th United States Secretary of War under President Woodrow Wilson from 1913 to 1916.

3. Sir William Edmunds Garrison (1837-1909), a British civil servant and colonial administrator who served as the 14th Governor of Bermuda from 1899 to 1904.

4. Fielding Hudson Garrison (1870-1935), an American librarian and historian, known for his contributions to the field of medical history and his book "An Introduction to the History of Medicine."

5. Winifred Garrison (1899-1969), an American children's book author and illustrator, best known for her work "Willow Hill," which won the Newbery Medal in 1950.

The surname Garrison has also been associated with various military installations and forts throughout history, reflecting its origins related to defense and protection. Examples include Fort Garrison in Massachusetts, Garrison Savannah in Jamaica, and the Garrison Church in Bermuda.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Garrison

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

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

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

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