2000
#22,283
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,079
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.40
Rare Last name
Garson
A occupational surname derived from the French gars meaning "boy" or "servant".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,143 Americans carry the last name Garson. That puts it at #25,867 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 299,873 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Garson 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 Garson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 299,873
Census rank
#25,867
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
997
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 997 bearers of the surname Garson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25867th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Garson, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.6%) and Black (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Garson
The surname Garson originated from the Anglo-Norman French word "garçon" meaning "boy" or "servant". It dates back to the early medieval period in England and France. The name was likely first used as a descriptive surname for a young male servant or attendant.
The earliest recorded examples of the Garson surname appear in English historical records from the late 13th century. It can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a William Garson is listed. The name is also present in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1275, referencing a Hugo Garson.
In Scotland, the name Garson is thought to have derived from the similar-sounding Gaelic surname "Gearson", meaning "son of the gardener". This variant is found in records from the 16th century onwards, such as the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland from 1585, which mentions a John Gearson.
One of the earliest notable bearers of the Garson surname was John Garson, a prominent English merchant and alderman who lived in the city of Bristol in the 15th century. He served as Mayor of Bristol in 1454 and 1464.
Another historically significant individual with this surname was David Garson, a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1591 to 1668. He published several influential works on navigation and astronomy during his lifetime.
In the literary world, the English writer and dramatist David Garson (1641-1719) is noteworthy. He wrote several successful plays and was a member of the prestigious Kit-Cat Club in London.
The name Garson also has connections to place names in England, such as the village of Garsdon in Wiltshire. This place name is believed to be derived from the Old English words "gaers" meaning "grass" and "dun" meaning "hill", suggesting a potential link to the surname's origins.
One of the most famous bearers of the Garson surname in more recent history was the American actress Greer Garson (1904-1996). She achieved widespread acclaim for her performances in films such as "Mrs. Miniver" and "Madame Curie", winning an Academy Award for the former in 1942.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Garson
Among Census respondents with the surname Garson, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.6%) and Black (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Garson 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 Garson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.2% · 810
- Hispanic or Latino10.6% · 106
- Black or African American4.3% · 43
- Two or more races2.0% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Garson
Garson 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
#26,243
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 931
-148 bearers (-13.7%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Down 3,960 places
2020
#25,867
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 997
+66 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Up 376 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,283 | 1,079 | 0.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #26,243 | 931 | 0.32 | -148 bearers (-13.7%) | Down 3,960 places |
| 2020 | #25,867 | 997 | 0.33 | +66 bearers (+7.1%) | Up 376 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 Garson 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 | #26,243 | #25,867 | 1.4% |
| Count | 931 | 997 | 7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.32 | 0.33 | 4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Garson bearers went from 931 to 997 (+7.1% change). The surname moved up 376 positions in the national ranking, going from #26,243 to #25,867.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Garson
FAQ
Garson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Garson?
Name Census estimates that about 1,143 living Americans carry the surname Garson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 299,873 residents.
How common is Garson?
Garson ranks #25,867 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 997 people with the surname Garson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,143), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Garson.
Has Garson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Garson went from 931 recorded bearers to 997. That is an increase of 66 (+7.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #26,243 to #25,867.
What does the Census say about the background of Garson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Garson, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.6%) and Black (4.3%). 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 Garson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.2% (810 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Garson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.2%), Hispanic (10.6%), Black (4.3%). 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 Garson (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 Garson mean?
A occupational surname derived from the French gars meaning "boy" or "servant". 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 Garson (0.33 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 share the surname Garson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.