2000
#4,553
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,151
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.65
Rare Last name
Garris
Derived from a French place name referring to someone who lived near a triangle-shaped piece of land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,607 Americans carry the last name Garris. That puts it at #5,111 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 45,058 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Garris 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.
Bearers in the US
7.6K
1 in 45,058
Census rank
#5,111
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,634 bearers of the surname Garris in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5111th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Garris, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.5%. The next largest groups are Black (21.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Garris
The surname Garris is believed to have originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "garre," which means "thicket" or "wooded area." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a dense forest or woodland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a person named Geoffroy de Garis, whose name likely had a similar spelling and pronunciation to the modern Garris.
In the 13th century, there are records of a family named Garris residing in the region of Normandy, France. This area was known for its extensive woodlands, further reinforcing the connection between the name and its potential origins as a reference to someone living in or near a forested area.
One notable individual with the surname Garris was Jean Garris, a French painter and engraver who lived in the 16th century (c. 1500-1580). His works, which included religious subjects and landscapes, were highly regarded during his lifetime.
Another notable figure was Étienne Garris (1568-1635), a French nobleman and military officer who served under King Henry IV during the French Wars of Religion. He played a significant role in several battles and was rewarded with land and titles for his service.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Garris family settled in the town of Châteauneuf-sur-Loire, located in the Loire Valley region of France. This area was known for its vineyards and wine production, and it is possible that some members of the Garris family were involved in this industry.
In the 18th century, there are records of a Philippe Garris (1712-1789), a French philosopher and writer who was known for his works on ethics and morality. He was a contemporary of the famous Enlightenment thinkers of the time and contributed to the intellectual discourse of the era.
Another notable individual with the surname Garris was Jean-Baptiste Garris (1765-1832), a French military officer who served under Napoleon Bonaparte. He rose through the ranks and was eventually promoted to the rank of General, participating in several significant battles during the Napoleonic Wars.
While the surname Garris is not as common as some others, it has a rich history dating back to medieval times in France. Its origins are closely tied to the concept of wooded areas and thickets, reflecting the potential connection between the name and the natural environment.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Garris
Among Census respondents with the surname Garris, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.5%. The next largest groups are Black (21.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Garris 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 Garris surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.5% · 4,612
- Black or African American21.9% · 1,454
- Two or more races4.4% · 290
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 225
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Garris
Garris 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
#4,823
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,316
+165 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 2.48
Rank movement Down 270 places
2020
#5,111
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,634
-682 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 2.22
Rank movement Down 288 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,553 | 7,151 | 2.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,823 | 7,316 | 2.48 | +165 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 270 places |
| 2020 | #5,111 | 6,634 | 2.22 | -682 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 288 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 Garris 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 | #4,823 | #5,111 | -6.0% |
| Count | 7,316 | 6,634 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.48 | 2.22 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Garris bearers went from 7,316 to 6,634 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 288 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,823 to #5,111.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Garris
FAQ
Garris surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Garris?
Name Census estimates that about 7,607 living Americans carry the surname Garris. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 45,058 residents.
How common is Garris?
Garris ranks #5,111 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,634 people with the surname Garris. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,607), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Garris.
Has Garris become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Garris went from 7,316 recorded bearers to 6,634. That is a decrease of 682 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,823 to #5,111.
What does the Census say about the background of Garris?
Among Census respondents with the surname Garris, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.5%. The next largest groups are Black (21.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Garris in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.5% (4,612 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Garris appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.5%), Black (21.9%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Garris (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 Garris mean?
Derived from a French place name referring to someone who lived near a triangle-shaped piece of land. 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 Garris (2.22 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 surname Garris?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.