2000
#6,804
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,564
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.69
Rare Last name
Garver
An occupational surname of German origin referring to a person who tans animal hides into leather.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,000 Americans carry the last name Garver. That puts it at #7,371 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,551 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Garver surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Garver with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.0K
1 in 68,551
Census rank
#7,371
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,360 bearers of the surname Garver in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7371st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Garver, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Garver
Among Census respondents with the surname Garver, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Garver bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Garver surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 4,057
- Two or more races3.4% · 150
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 88
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 29
- Black or African American0.4% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Garver
Garver appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,441
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,477
-87 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.52
Rank movement Down 637 places
2020
#7,371
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,360
-117 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Up 70 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,804 | 4,564 | 1.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,441 | 4,477 | 1.52 | -87 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 637 places |
| 2020 | #7,371 | 4,360 | 1.46 | -117 bearers (-2.6%) | Up 70 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Garver surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,441 | #7,371 | 0.9% |
| Count | 4,477 | 4,360 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.52 | 1.46 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Garver bearers went from 4,477 to 4,360 (-2.6% change). The surname moved up 70 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,441 to #7,371.
FAQ
Garver surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Garver?
Name Census estimates that about 5,000 living Americans carry the surname Garver. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,551 residents.
How common is Garver?
Garver ranks #7,371 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.46 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,360 people with the surname Garver. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,000), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.46 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Garver.
Has Garver become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Garver went from 4,477 recorded bearers to 4,360. That is a decrease of 117 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,441 to #7,371.
What does the Census say about the background of Garver?
Among Census respondents with the surname Garver, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Garver in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (4,057 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Garver appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (2.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Garver (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Garver mean?
An occupational surname of German origin referring to a person who tans animal hides into leather. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Garver (1.46 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Garver?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Garver on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.