UK boy's name
Garth
An Old Norse name meaning "enclosure" or "garden".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2010. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Garth is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Garth popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2010 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4678, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 10 births.
This profile covers 51 England and Wales registrations across 10 recorded years from 1996 to 2010. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 30% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 57 living people in the UK are called Garth. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2011 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Garth ranked #4678 for boys in England and Wales in 2010, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 10 boys were registered as Garth.
- • Garth ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #277 in 1999.
- • About 57 living people in the UK are estimated to have Garth as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4678
2010
Births in 2010
3
Latest year
Peak year
1996
10 births
Estimated living
57
2026
Meaning
What does Garth mean?
The name Garth is derived from the Old English word "gearth," which means an enclosed yard or garden. It is believed to have originated in the Anglo-Saxon culture of England, dating back to around the 5th century AD. The name was likely given to children born or living near an enclosed area, such as a farmyard or a walled garden.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Garth can be found in the Domesday Book, a survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Gearth" and "Gerth," indicating its widespread use during the Norman period.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Garth. One of the earliest was Garth, the Earl of Merioneth, who lived in the late 12th century and played a significant role in the wars between the Welsh and the English during the reign of King Henry II. Another prominent figure was Garth Callaghan, a Welsh landowner and military commander who fought alongside Owain Glyndŵr in the Welsh Revolt against the English in the early 15th century.
In the realm of literature, the name Garth appears in the works of renowned authors. For instance, Garth Greenfield is a character in Sir Walter Scott's novel "Ivanhoe," published in 1819. This fictional character is depicted as a skilled archer and a loyal follower of the Saxon hero, Cedric.
Moving into more recent times, Garth Brooks (born 1962) is a highly successful American country music singer and songwriter. With numerous hit albums and awards, he is considered one of the best-selling artists of all time in the United States. Another notable figure is Garth Nix (born 1963), an Australian writer of fantasy novels, best known for his "Old Kingdom" series.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diverse cultural influences associated with the name Garth, which has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, ranging from medieval noblemen and military leaders to modern-day writers and musicians.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Garth over time
The chart below shows babies named Garth registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2010. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Garth, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2010, compared with 10 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Garth by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Garth was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4678 | 3 | 1 |
| 2000s | #2718 | 27 | 6 |
| 1990s | #1698 | 21 | 3 |
Geography
Where Garth is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Garth. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Garth ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #277 in 1999.
Across the UK
Garth in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#277 in 1999
2 years of NISRA records, 7 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Garth
-
Garth Anderson
association football player
Footballer (born 1976)
1976-
-
Garth Jennings
screenwriter; actor; writer; film director; film producer; film screenwriter
English filmmaker
1972-
-
Garth Robinson
sprinter
Jamaican sprinter
1970-
-
Garth Ennis
comics writer
British comics writer
1970-
-
Garth Crooks
association football player; sports commentator
English footballer (born 1958)
1958-
-
Garth Smith
musician
British musician
1955-
-
Garth Hewitt
author; singer-songwriter; Anglican priest; activist
British Christian singer-songwriter
1946-
-
Garth Lee
association football player
Footballer (born 1943)
1943-
Related
Names similar to Garth
- George 121,258
- Gabriel 20,581
- Grayson 7,636
- Gregory 2,925
- Guy 2,646
- Gareth 2,092
- Gethin 1,880
- Georgie 1,872
- Gary 1,575
- Gavin 1,422
- Giovanni 1,252
- Grant 1,199
FAQ
Garth: questions and answers
How popular is the name Garth in the UK right now?
In 2010, Garth was ranked #4678 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Garth most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 10 babies registered as Garth in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Garth?
An Old Norse name meaning "enclosure" or "garden".
How many people are called Garth in the UK?
A total of 51 babies have been registered as Garth across the 10 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here and 7 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Garth most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Garth ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #277 in 1999. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.