2000
#56,246
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 340
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Garvie
A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "rough point of land".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 479 Americans carry the last name Garvie. That puts it at #53,424 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 715,562 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Garvie 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 Garvie with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
479
1 in 715,562
Census rank
#53,424
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
418
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 418 bearers of the surname Garvie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 53424th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Garvie, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Black (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Garvie
The surname Garvie originated in Scotland, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the Scottish Gaelic words "garbh" meaning rough or rugged, and "àth" meaning a ford or crossing, referring to a rough or rugged ford across a river or stream.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Garvie can be found in the Regality of Dunfermline Court Book from 1531, which mentions a certain John Garvie. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region of Fife, Scotland, by that time.
The name Garvie is also closely associated with the village of Garvie, located in the parish of Inverkeithing, Fife. It is likely that the surname originated from this place name, with early bearers taking on the name to identify their place of residence or origin.
In the 17th century, the Garvie surname appeared in several records, including the Parish Register of Inverkeithing in 1647, which listed the baptism of Margaret Garvie, daughter of John Garvie. Another notable figure from this period was Robert Garvie, a merchant and burgess of Inverkeithing, who was mentioned in the Burgh Records of Inverkeithing in 1678.
During the 18th century, the surname Garvie continued to be prevalent in the Fife area. One notable individual was John Garvie (1692-1766), a minister of the Church of Scotland who served in the parishes of Dunfermline and Kinghorn.
In the 19th century, the Garvie surname spread beyond Scotland, with individuals bearing the name appearing in various parts of the British Empire. James Garvie (1812-1886), a Scottish-born merchant and philanthropist, made a significant impact in Australia, where he established the Garvie Institute in Gawler, South Australia.
Another notable figure from this period was James Garvie (1845-1931), a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the South Australian House of Assembly and was involved in the establishment of the Commonwealth of Australia.
While the Garvie surname has its roots firmly planted in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, with bearers of the name making their mark in various fields and industries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Garvie
Among Census respondents with the surname Garvie, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Black (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Garvie 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 Garvie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.5% · 349
- Two or more races6.9% · 29
- Black or African American5.5% · 23
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Garvie
Garvie 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
#53,802
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 384
+44 bearers (+12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 2,444 places
2020
#53,424
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 418
+34 bearers (+8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Up 378 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #56,246 | 340 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #53,802 | 384 | 0.13 | +44 bearers (+12.9%) | Up 2,444 places |
| 2020 | #53,424 | 418 | 0.14 | +34 bearers (+8.9%) | Up 378 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 Garvie 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 | #53,802 | #53,424 | 0.7% |
| Count | 384 | 418 | 8.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.14 | 7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Garvie bearers went from 384 to 418 (+8.9% change). The surname moved up 378 positions in the national ranking, going from #53,802 to #53,424.
FAQ
Garvie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Garvie?
Name Census estimates that about 479 living Americans carry the surname Garvie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 715,562 residents.
How common is Garvie?
Garvie ranks #53,424 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 418 people with the surname Garvie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (479), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Garvie.
Has Garvie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Garvie went from 384 recorded bearers to 418. That is an increase of 34 (+8.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #53,802 to #53,424.
What does the Census say about the background of Garvie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Garvie, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Black (5.5%). 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 Garvie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.5% (349 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Garvie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.5%), Two or More Races (6.9%), Black (5.5%). 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 Garvie (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 Garvie mean?
A Scottish surname derived from a place name meaning "rough point 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 Garvie (0.14 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 Garvie?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.