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

Garth, 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 Garth surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Garth in America

Garth is the 10491st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Garth surname appeared 3,059 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 Garth.

We can also compare 2010 data for Garth 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 Garth

The surname Garth is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "gearth" or "geard," meaning an enclosed yard or garden. It was originally a topographic name, given to someone who lived near or worked in a garden or enclosed piece of land.

The name can be traced back to the Middle Ages, and one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, compiled by order of William the Conqueror. Here, it is spelled as "Gerde" and refers to a landowner in the county of Somerset.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, the surname began to appear in various forms, such as "Gard," "Gerde," and "Gard de la Garth." These variations reflect the local dialects and spellings of the time. The modern spelling of "Garth" became more standardized in the 16th century.

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Garth (c. 1505-1585), a prominent English judge and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He served as a Justice of the Common Pleas and was involved in the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots.

Another historical figure with this surname was Sir Samuel Garth (1661-1719), an English poet, physician, and playwright. He is best known for his satirical mock-heroic poem "The Dispensary," which pokes fun at the conflicts between physicians and apothecaries in London at the time.

In the 18th century, John Garth (1701-1766) was a notable English author and translator. He is remembered for his translation of Ovid's "Metamorphoses" and his work as a literary critic.

Moving into the 19th century, Sir Richard Garth (1820-1903) was a prominent British lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Bengal in British India. He played a significant role in shaping the legal system of colonial India.

Lastly, John Garth (1944-2022) was a modern-day British author and scholar who was widely regarded as the world's leading expert on J.R.R. Tolkien. His book "Tolkien and the Great War" explored the influence of World War I on Tolkien's writing and life.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Garth

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

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

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

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