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

Garver, 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 Garver surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Garver in America

Garver is the 7441st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Garver surname appeared 4,477 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Garver.

We can also compare 2010 data for Garver 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 Garver

The surname Garver is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "garwer," which means "tanner" or "leather worker." It is an occupational surname that emerged during the medieval period, typically referring to individuals who were involved in the trade of tanning and processing animal hides into leather.

This surname likely originated in the German-speaking regions of Central Europe, particularly in areas where the tanning industry was prevalent. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 14th and 15th centuries in various German-language records and documents.

One of the earliest known references to the name Garver can be found in the Bavarian town records of Schärding, dated around 1420. Here, a certain Hanns Garver is mentioned as a resident and likely a tanner by profession.

In the 16th century, the surname Garver appeared in the records of the city of Nuremberg, which was a prominent center for the leather-working trade during that period. Notable individuals bearing this surname include Hans Garver, a master tanner who lived in Nuremberg in the mid-1500s.

As the name spread across various German-speaking regions, it underwent slight variations in spelling, such as Garber, Gerber, or Gärber, all of which can be traced back to the same occupational origin.

One of the earliest known instances of the surname Garver in English-speaking regions can be found in the records of the Pennsylvania Dutch settlers in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. These German immigrants brought the name with them to the American colonies, where it continued to be used by their descendants.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Garver. One example is Johann Garver, a German-born artist and engraver who lived in the late 16th century and is known for his intricate woodcut prints and illustrations.

Another prominent figure was Friedrich Garver, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1741 to 1813 and made significant contributions to the field of Protestant theology.

In the 19th century, Charles Garver (1833-1905) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.

The name Garver has also been associated with various place names derived from the occupation of tanning, such as Gerberviertel (Tanners' Quarter) in cities like Vienna and Munich, where tanneries and leather-working workshops were historically concentrated.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Garver

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

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

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

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