Garson last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Garson

A occupational surname derived from the French gars meaning "boy" or "servant".

Garson, 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 Garson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Garson in America

Garson is the 26243rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Garson surname appeared 931 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Garson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Garson 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 26243 22283 16.32%
Count 931 1,079 -14.73%
Proportion per 100k 0.32 0.40 -22.22%

The history of the last name Garson

The surname Garson originated from the Anglo-Norman French word "garçon" meaning "boy" or "servant". It dates back to the early medieval period in England and France. The name was likely first used as a descriptive surname for a young male servant or attendant.

The earliest recorded examples of the Garson surname appear in English historical records from the late 13th century. It can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a William Garson is listed. The name is also present in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1275, referencing a Hugo Garson.

In Scotland, the name Garson is thought to have derived from the similar-sounding Gaelic surname "Gearson", meaning "son of the gardener". This variant is found in records from the 16th century onwards, such as the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland from 1585, which mentions a John Gearson.

One of the earliest notable bearers of the Garson surname was John Garson, a prominent English merchant and alderman who lived in the city of Bristol in the 15th century. He served as Mayor of Bristol in 1454 and 1464.

Another historically significant individual with this surname was David Garson, a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1591 to 1668. He published several influential works on navigation and astronomy during his lifetime.

In the literary world, the English writer and dramatist David Garson (1641-1719) is noteworthy. He wrote several successful plays and was a member of the prestigious Kit-Cat Club in London.

The name Garson also has connections to place names in England, such as the village of Garsdon in Wiltshire. This place name is believed to be derived from the Old English words "gaers" meaning "grass" and "dun" meaning "hill", suggesting a potential link to the surname's origins.

One of the most famous bearers of the Garson surname in more recent history was the American actress Greer Garson (1904-1996). She achieved widespread acclaim for her performances in films such as "Mrs. Miniver" and "Madame Curie", winning an Academy Award for the former in 1942.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Garson

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

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 Garson was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 87.22% 812
Non-Hispanic Black Only 2.90% 27
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.64% 6
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.54% 5
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.86% 8
Hispanic Origin 7.84% 73

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 Garson has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 87.22% 86.84% 0.44%
Black 2.90% 5.38% -59.90%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.64% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.54% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 0.86% 1.02% -17.02%
Hispanic 7.84% 5.84% 29.24%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Garson last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 6, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/garson-surname-popularity/.

"Garson last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/garson-surname-popularity/. Accessed 6 May, 2025

Garson last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/garson-surname-popularity/.

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