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

Garrow, 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 Garrow surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Garrow in America

Garrow is the 11383rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Garrow surname appeared 2,770 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 Garrow.

We can also compare 2010 data for Garrow 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 Garrow

The surname Garrow has its origins in England, with roots that can be traced back to the 12th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English word "gara," meaning "triangular piece of land," or the Old Norse word "gera," meaning "a triangular strip of land." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived on or owned a triangular plot of land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Gara" and "Gare." Over time, the spelling evolved into various forms, such as Garrow, Garrawe, and Garrowe.

In the 13th century, the name Garrow can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, where it is recorded as "Garewe." This indicates that the name was present in the county of Norfolk during that period.

In the 14th century, the name Garrow appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire, suggesting that the name had spread to other parts of England by that time.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Garrow was Sir William Garrow (1760-1840), an English lawyer and judge who played a significant role in reforming the English legal system. He is credited with introducing the concept of allowing defendants to be represented by counsel in felony cases.

Another prominent individual with the surname Garrow was David Garrow (1786-1875), a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the Royal Institution and the Commercial Bank of Scotland.

In the 19th century, John Garrow (1810-1886), an English surgeon, made significant contributions to the field of medicine, particularly in the treatment of diseases of the eye.

The surname Garrow also appears in the arts, with William Garrow (1839-1898), an English painter known for his landscapes and marine scenes.

In the 20th century, David J. Garrow (born 1953) is a notable American historian and biographer who won the Pulitzer Prize for his work on Martin Luther King Jr.

While the surname Garrow has evolved over the centuries and spread to various parts of the world, its origins can be traced back to the Old English and Old Norse words related to triangular pieces of land, reflecting the name's connection to the geographical features of its early bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Garrow

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

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

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

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