2000
#1,251
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,725
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.54
Uncommon Last name
Garland
One who made or sold garlands, wreaths, or circlets of flowers and leaves.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 28,629 Americans carry the last name Garland. That puts it at #1,394 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,972 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Garland 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 Garland with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
29K
1 in 11,972
Census rank
#1,394
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
25K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 24,966 bearers of the surname Garland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1394th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Garland, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.5%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Garland
The surname Garland has its origins in the Old French language and is derived from the word "garlande", meaning a wreath or garland of flowers or leaves. It was initially an occupational name given to makers or sellers of such floral garlands.
The name first appeared in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many French and Norman nobles and commoners settled in the country. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Gerlant".
In the 12th century, the name was recorded as "Gerlaund" and "Garlond" in various historical documents. These early spellings highlight the name's French origins and its subsequent evolution in England.
During the 13th century, the surname Garland began to spread across England, with notable bearers including William Garland, who was recorded in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1262.
The 14th century saw the emergence of several prominent individuals bearing the surname Garland. One such figure was John Garland, a renowned philosopher and theologian who lived from around 1270 to 1320. Another notable bearer was Thomas Garland, who served as the Bishop of Lincoln from 1349 to 1363.
In the 15th century, the surname Garland was well-established in various parts of England, with several place names derived from the surname, such as Garland's Green in Hertfordshire and Garland's Cross in Oxfordshire.
One of the most famous bearers of the surname Garland was Sir Thomas Garland, a renowned English soldier and landowner who lived from around 1490 to 1550. He served under King Henry VIII and played a significant role in the suppression of the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion in 1536.
Another notable figure was John Garland, an English Baptist minister and writer who lived from 1608 to 1700. He was a prominent figure during the English Civil War and authored several religious works.
Throughout the centuries, the surname Garland has been carried by many other individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, including literature, arts, and sciences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Garland
Among Census respondents with the surname Garland, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.5%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Garland 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 Garland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.5% · 18,603
- Black or African American16.7% · 4,168
- Two or more races4.5% · 1,124
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 748
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 192
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 131
Timeline
Historical Census data for Garland
Garland 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
#1,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,779
+1,054 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 9.08
Rank movement Down 58 places
2020
#1,394
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,966
-1,813 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 8.35
Rank movement Down 85 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,251 | 25,725 | 9.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,309 | 26,779 | 9.08 | +1,054 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 58 places |
| 2020 | #1,394 | 24,966 | 8.35 | -1,813 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 85 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 Garland 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 | #1,309 | #1,394 | -6.5% |
| Count | 26,779 | 24,966 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 9.08 | 8.35 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Garland bearers went from 26,779 to 24,966 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 85 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,309 to #1,394.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Garland
FAQ
Garland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Garland?
Name Census estimates that about 28,629 living Americans carry the surname Garland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,972 residents.
How common is Garland?
Garland ranks #1,394 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.35 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 24,966 people with the surname Garland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (28,629), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.35 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Garland.
Has Garland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Garland went from 26,779 recorded bearers to 24,966. That is a decrease of 1,813 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,309 to #1,394.
What does the Census say about the background of Garland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Garland, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.5%. The next largest groups are Black (16.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Garland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.5% (18,603 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Garland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.5%), Black (16.7%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Garland (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 Garland mean?
One who made or sold garlands, wreaths, or circlets of flowers and leaves. 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 Garland (8.35 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 common is the surname Garland?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Garland on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.