NameCensus.

UK surname

Garbett

A locational surname derived from a place named Garbett or Garbutt, of uncertain origin.

In the 1881 census there were 1,167 people recorded with the Garbett surname, ranking it #3,449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,433, ranked #2,709, up from #3,449 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dawley, Magna, Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors and Broseley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Walsall and Telford and Wrekin.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Garbett is 2,558 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 108.5%.

1881 census count

1,167

Ranked #3,449

Modern count

2,433

2016, ranked #2,709

Peak year

1998

2,558 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Garbett had 1,167 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,449 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,433 in 2016, ranked #2,709.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,981 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Garbett surname distribution map

The map shows where the Garbett surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Garbett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Garbett over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 610 #4,225
1861 historical 797 #3,450
1881 historical 1,167 #3,449
1891 historical 1,415 #3,081
1901 historical 1,631 #3,167
1911 historical 1,981 #2,506
1997 modern 2,473 #2,534
1998 modern 2,558 #2,553
1999 modern 2,533 #2,600
2000 modern 2,473 #2,641
2001 modern 2,451 #2,605
2002 modern 2,500 #2,616
2003 modern 2,469 #2,593
2004 modern 2,445 #2,618
2005 modern 2,406 #2,625
2006 modern 2,410 #2,619
2007 modern 2,435 #2,627
2008 modern 2,429 #2,644
2009 modern 2,462 #2,681
2010 modern 2,492 #2,706
2011 modern 2,488 #2,680
2012 modern 2,462 #2,661
2013 modern 2,463 #2,703
2014 modern 2,456 #2,725
2015 modern 2,458 #2,701
2016 modern 2,433 #2,709

Geography

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Where Garbetts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dawley, Magna, Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors, Broseley, Dudley and Walsall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Walsall and Telford and Wrekin. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Dawley, Magna Shropshire
2 Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors Shropshire
3 Broseley Shropshire
4 Dudley Staffordshire
5 Walsall Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 029 Shropshire
2 Walsall 009 Walsall
3 Telford and Wrekin 019 Telford and Wrekin
4 Shropshire 025 Shropshire
5 Shropshire 034 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Garbett

These lists show first names that appear often with the Garbett surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Garbett

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Garbett, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Garbett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Garbett household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Garbett is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Garbett is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Garbett falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Garbett is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Garbett, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Garbett

The surname Garbett is of English origin and dates back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "gara" meaning a triangular piece of land and "byht" meaning a bend or curve, possibly referring to someone who lived on a triangular piece of land near a river bend or curve.

The earliest known record of the name appears in the Parish Registers of Westbury, Wiltshire, in 1597, where a William Garbett was mentioned. In the Hearth Tax Rolls of Wiltshire in 1672, the name was spelled as "Garbitt." This variation in spelling was common during that time.

One of the earliest notable people with this surname was Thomas Garbett (1590-1654), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Norwich from 1635 to 1645. He was a staunch supporter of King Charles I during the English Civil War.

Another prominent figure was Samuel Garbett (1717-1803), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Bishop of Worcester from 1787 until his death. He was known for his scholarly works on theology and church history.

In the 19th century, Sir Thomas Garbett (1809-1886) was a British judge and politician who served as the Attorney General for England and Wales from 1867 to 1868. He was also a member of Parliament for several constituencies.

The surname Garbett also has links to place names in England, such as Garbett's Farm in Berkshire and Garbett's Hill in Shropshire, both of which were likely named after individuals bearing this surname who lived or owned land in those areas.

Another notable individual with this surname was John Garbett (1874-1949), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

While the surname Garbett is not among the most common in England, it has a long and rich history, with several individuals of note bearing this name throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Garbett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Garbett surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Staffordshire leads with 393 Garbetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.23x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 393 10.23x
Shropshire 273 27.76x
Worcestershire 165 11.10x
Yorkshire 74 0.66x
Warwickshire 62 2.16x
Middlesex 37 0.33x
Lancashire 28 0.21x
Surrey 18 0.32x
Cheshire 11 0.44x
Gloucestershire 11 0.49x
Hampshire 10 0.43x
Herefordshire 9 1.93x
Derbyshire 7 0.39x
Glamorgan 7 0.35x
Northamptonshire 7 0.65x
Cumberland 6 0.61x
Essex 6 0.27x
Kent 6 0.15x
Lanarkshire 6 0.16x
Northumberland 6 0.35x
Durham 4 0.12x
Sussex 4 0.21x
Flintshire 3 0.98x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.20x
Somerset 3 0.16x
Suffolk 2 0.14x
Berkshire 1 0.12x
Cornwall 1 0.08x
Denbighshire 1 0.23x
Hertfordshire 1 0.13x
Oxfordshire 1 0.14x
Royal Navy 1 0.74x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kingswinford in Staffordshire leads with 78 Garbetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 55.91x.

Place Total Index
Kingswinford 78 55.91x
Dawley 53 148.09x
Broseley 42 240.27x
Birmingham 34 3.55x
Dudley 33 18.26x
Wellington 32 57.89x
Rushall 31 137.11x
Sedgley 31 21.72x
Wednesbury 31 32.28x
Cannock 26 38.78x
Tipton 26 22.10x
Aston 24 3.04x
West Bromwich 20 9.09x
Farlow 19 1407.41x
Wolverhampton 19 6.43x
Burntwood Edial 18 73.32x
Oldbury 18 24.61x
Stourbridge 18 47.06x
Upperswinford 18 143.08x
Walsall Foreign 18 9.07x
Cleobury North 17 2297.30x
Ditton Priors 17 726.50x
Bilston 15 20.14x
Madeley 14 38.82x
Mile End Old Town London 13 5.37x
Rock 12 202.02x
Ribbesford 11 88.92x
Rowley Regis 11 10.27x
Roystone 11 249.43x
Acton Scott 10 1149.43x
Biddulph 10 46.13x
Harborne 10 8.12x
Islington London 10 0.91x
Pontesbury 10 83.61x
Sandal Magna 10 59.95x
Stanton Lacy 10 117.65x
Wollaston 10 106.04x
Darlaston 9 16.95x
Kimbolton 9 371.90x
Linthorpe 9 13.37x
Kidderminster Borough 8 9.19x
Stoke Upon Trent 8 1.96x
Walsall Borough 8 26.82x
Worcester St Martin 8 39.88x
Church Stretton 7 106.06x
Didsbury 7 39.02x
Holdenhurst 7 11.44x
Kettering 7 16.16x
Seale 7 197.18x
Stockton 7 333.33x
Wath On Dearne 7 31.10x
West Dean 7 19.30x
Whitechapel London 7 6.24x
Codnor Park 6 143.54x
Gelligaer 6 13.25x
Kings Norton 6 4.50x
Monks Coppenhall 6 6.33x
Old Monkland 6 4.11x
St Cuthbert W O 6 12.56x
Worcester St Nicholas 6 85.23x
Barking 5 7.60x
Edgeworth 5 68.87x
Gorton 5 3.94x
Great Barr 5 113.64x
Hartlebury 5 56.50x
Holy Trinity 5 1.84x
Idle 5 9.56x
Kinver 5 45.13x
Lower Mitton 5 38.17x
Ludlow St Lawrence 5 25.55x
Rawmarsh 5 12.55x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 2.18x
Stafford St Mary 5 9.19x
Upton Cressett 5 416.67x
Acton Beauchamp 4 506.33x
Darton 4 34.63x
Halifax 4 2.42x
Norton Canes 4 28.55x
Wallsend 4 7.45x
Westminster St James 4 3.42x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Garbett surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 65
Sarah 58
Elizabeth 44
Ann 29
Eliza 25
Jane 23
Emma 22
Martha 22
Alice 20
Annie 17
Ellen 13
Harriet 11
Emily 10
Fanny 10
Hannah 10
Louisa 10
Florence 8
Lucy 8
Maria 6
Caroline 5
Harriett 5
Laura 5
Ada 4
Anne 4
Charlotte 4
Edith 4
Matilda 4
Ruth 4
Selina 4
Susan 4
Clara 3
Frances 3
Kate 3
Lydia 3
M. 3
Phebe 3
Susannah 3
Agness 2
Amy 2
Angelina 2
Betsey 2
Celeste 2
Eleanor 2
Jessie 2
Lousia 2
Polly 2
Priscilla 2
Rhoda 2
Rosa 2
Rose 2

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Garbett surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 84
John 72
Thomas 58
George 52
Joseph 29
Richard 29
Samuel 22
Edward 20
Henry 20
James 19
Benjamin 16
Alfred 12
Charles 12
Harry 9
Arthur 8
Robert 8
Frederick 5
David 4
Isaac 4
Michael 4
Albert 3
Daniel 3
Edwin 3
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Frank 3
Herbert 3
Mathew 3
Sidney 3
Timothy 3
Walter 3
Willm. 3
Benjamen 2
Edwen 2
Enoch 2
Jno. 2
Job 2
Leonard 2
Noah 2
Richd. 2
Stephen 2
Wilfred 2
Wm.Hy. 2
Beriah 1
Charley 1
Eli 1
Elias 1
Emanuel 1
Isaiah 1
J. 1

FAQ

Garbett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Garbett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,167 people were recorded with the Garbett surname. That placed it at #3,449 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Garbett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,433 in 2016. That gives Garbett a modern rank of #2,709.

What does the Garbett surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place named Garbett or Garbutt, of uncertain origin.

What does the Garbett map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Garbett bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.