2000
#8,848
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,405
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.26
Rare Last name
Garry
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic surname Ó Gadhra, meaning "descendant of Gadhra" (a personal name).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,722 Americans carry the last name Garry. That puts it at #9,578 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 92,089 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Garry 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 Garry with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 92,089
Census rank
#9,578
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,246 bearers of the surname Garry in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9578th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Garry, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.2%. The next largest groups are Black (15.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Garry
The surname Garry originated in Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "garbh," which means "rough" or "rugged," likely referring to the harsh terrain of the Scottish Highlands where the name first emerged. The name was often associated with people who lived in remote, mountainous areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Garry can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the late 13th century, where it appears as "Garvie." This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.
In the 14th century, the name Garry was particularly prevalent in the regions of Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire, where several families bearing this surname were recorded in local charters and land records.
A notable historical figure with the surname Garry was Sir Thomas Garry, a Scottish nobleman who lived in the late 16th century. He was a loyal supporter of King James VI of Scotland and played a significant role in the political affairs of the time.
Another prominent individual was Robert Garry, a Scottish philosopher and educator who lived in the 18th century (1728-1794). He was a respected scholar and served as a professor at Marischal College in Aberdeen.
In the 19th century, the name Garry was associated with several influential figures, including James Garry (1808-1879), a Scottish architect who designed numerous notable buildings in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Additionally, John Garry (1843-1921) was a Scottish engineer and inventor who contributed significantly to the development of early steam engines and locomotives.
The surname Garry can also be traced to the place name "Garry Bridge" in Perthshire, Scotland, which likely derived its name from the Gaelic word "garbh" referring to the rugged terrain surrounding the area.
Throughout history, the surname Garry has maintained its Scottish heritage and has been carried by individuals across various professions, from nobility and academics to architects and engineers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Garry
Among Census respondents with the surname Garry, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.2%. The next largest groups are Black (15.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Garry 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 Garry surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.2% · 2,442
- Black or African American15.9% · 515
- Two or more races3.7% · 121
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 116
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Garry
Garry 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
#9,461
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,439
+34 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 613 places
2020
#9,578
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,246
-193 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 117 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,848 | 3,405 | 1.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,461 | 3,439 | 1.17 | +34 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 613 places |
| 2020 | #9,578 | 3,246 | 1.09 | -193 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 117 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 Garry 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 | #9,461 | #9,578 | -1.2% |
| Count | 3,439 | 3,246 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.17 | 1.09 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Garry bearers went from 3,439 to 3,246 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 117 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,461 to #9,578.
FAQ
Garry surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Garry?
Name Census estimates that about 3,722 living Americans carry the surname Garry. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 92,089 residents.
How common is Garry?
Garry ranks #9,578 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.09 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 3,246 people with the surname Garry. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,722), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.09 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 Garry.
Has Garry become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Garry went from 3,439 recorded bearers to 3,246. That is a decrease of 193 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,461 to #9,578.
What does the Census say about the background of Garry?
Among Census respondents with the surname Garry, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.2%. The next largest groups are Black (15.9%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Garry in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.2% (2,442 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Garry appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.2%), Black (15.9%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Garry (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 Garry mean?
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic surname Ó Gadhra, meaning "descendant of Gadhra" (a personal name). 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 Garry (1.09 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 Garry?
Want to know how many people have the surname Garry? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.