NameCensus.

UK surname

Garcia

A patronymic surname of Spanish origin meaning "son of Garcia," which itself derived from the Basque word meaning "young bear."

In the 1881 census there were 136 people recorded with the Garcia surname, ranking it #16,433 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,488, ranked #1,517, up from #16,433 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Botolph Aldgate, - and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea and Brent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Garcia is 4,488 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 3200.0%.

1881 census count

136

Ranked #16,433

Modern count

4,488

2016, ranked #1,517

Peak year

2016

4,488 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Garcia had 136 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,433 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,488 in 2016, ranked #1,517.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 298 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Garcia surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Garcia surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Garcia 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 70 #21,020
1861 historical 79 #23,702
1881 historical 136 #16,433
1891 historical 141 #19,108
1901 historical 223 #14,134
1911 historical 298 #11,505
1997 modern 2,295 #2,709
1998 modern 2,474 #2,640
1999 modern 2,605 #2,531
2000 modern 2,696 #2,462
2001 modern 2,612 #2,475
2002 modern 2,831 #2,369
2003 modern 2,739 #2,386
2004 modern 2,839 #2,317
2005 modern 2,919 #2,216
2006 modern 3,035 #2,138
2007 modern 3,159 #2,075
2008 modern 3,394 #1,959
2009 modern 3,653 #1,862
2010 modern 4,022 #1,723
2011 modern 3,929 #1,741
2012 modern 4,015 #1,674
2013 modern 4,223 #1,618
2014 modern 4,340 #1,591
2015 modern 4,365 #1,567
2016 modern 4,488 #1,517

Geography

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Where Garcias are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Botolph Aldgate, -, London parishes and St Dunstan Stepney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea and Brent. 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 St Botolph Aldgate London (Central Districts)
2 - City Of London
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Westminster 009 Westminster
2 Kensington and Chelsea 004 Kensington and Chelsea
3 Westminster 017 Westminster
4 Brent 033 Brent
5 Kensington and Chelsea 021 Kensington and Chelsea

Forenames

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First names often paired with Garcia

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Garcia

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Garcia, 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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Garcia surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Garcia household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Garcia is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Garcia is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Garcia falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Garcia is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Garcia

The surname Garcia is of Spanish origin, derived from the personal name García, which comes from the Basque word "gartzia" meaning "bear cub" or "young bear." It is one of the most common surnames in Spain and Spanish-speaking countries.

The name's earliest known bearer was García Fernández, Count of Castile, who lived in the 10th century. Records of the surname date back to the 11th century, making it one of the oldest Spanish surnames still in use today.

In the 13th century, the surname Garcia appeared in the Repartimiento de Sevilla, a manuscript detailing the distribution of land and property in Seville after its reconquest from the Moors in 1248. This document contains numerous references to individuals bearing the surname Garcia.

One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Garcia was Pedro García de Herrera, a 14th-century Spanish mariner and cartographer who worked on the famous Catalan Atlas. Another notable bearer was Alonso García de Ramón, a 15th-century Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés.

During the 16th century, several individuals with the surname Garcia made significant contributions to Spanish literature and culture. These include the poet and dramatist Diego García de Paredes (1466-1530) and the writer and humanist Pedro García de la Huerta (1516-1584).

In the 17th century, Francisco García de Salcedo Coronel (1590-1675) was a Spanish military officer and author known for his work "Noticias de Madrid" (News of Madrid), which provided valuable insights into life in the Spanish capital during that era.

Over the centuries, the surname Garcia has been carried by many notable individuals across various fields, including the 19th-century Mexican writer and politician Manuel García Vigil (1835-1915) and the 20th-century Spanish painter and sculptor Antonio García Quintana (1904-1972).

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Garcia families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Garcia 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. Middlesex leads with 98 Garcias recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.39x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 98 7.39x
Lancashire 11 0.70x
Surrey 9 1.39x
Hampshire 6 2.21x
Cheshire 4 1.37x
Lanarkshire 2 0.47x
Devon 1 0.36x
Essex 1 0.38x
Hertfordshire 1 1.09x
Kent 1 0.22x
Staffordshire 1 0.22x
Sussex 1 0.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Mile End Old Town London in Middlesex leads with 31 Garcias recorded in 1881 and an index of 109.81x.

Place Total Index
Mile End Old Town London 31 109.81x
St Katherine Creechurch 11 4782.61x
Liverpool 8 8.37x
Paddington London 7 14.35x
St George In East London 7 56.09x
Whitechapel London 7 53.52x
Southampton All Sts 6 128.48x
St Botolph Aldgate London 6 219.78x
Westminster St John 6 37.13x
St George Hanover Square 5 21.40x
Battersea 4 8.20x
Birkenhead 4 17.14x
Kingston On Thames 4 25.76x
Willesden 4 31.97x
Spitalfields London 3 30.06x
Barony 2 1.84x
Bethnal Green London 2 3.47x
St Pancras London 2 1.87x
St Paul Covent Garden 2 150.38x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 8.00x
Broughton In Salford 1 6.95x
Chelsea London 1 2.50x
Hastings Holy Trinity 1 60.61x
Islington London 1 0.78x
Kensington London 1 1.36x
Lambeth 1 0.86x
Lewisham 1 4.14x
Manchester 1 1.41x
Poplar London 1 3.99x
St George Bloomsbury 1 13.14x
Stafford St Mary 1 15.77x
Standon 1 106.38x
Thaxted 1 114.94x
Tormoham 1 8.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 6
Sarah 5
Esther 3
Frances 3
Hannah 3
Amelia 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Gertrude 2
Jane 2
Ada 1
Anna 1
Annie 1
Beata 1
Belaco 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Deborah 1
Emilia 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
Fanney 1
Fanny 1
Isabel 1
Josiphe 1
Julia 1
Kitty 1
Lese 1
Lucy 1
Mannela 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Mary 1
Mrs 1
Panea 1
Rachel 1
Rebecca 1
Rose 1
Sophia 1
Tuaguina 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Abraham 5
Samuel 5
Moses 3
Moss 3
Philip 3
Antonio 2
Daniel 2
David 2
Henry 2
Isaac 2
Jacob 2
John 2
Lewis 2
Manuel 2
Abi 1
Adolphe 1
Adron 1
Agustin 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Athony 1
Avelino 1
Charles 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Gaspar 1
George 1
Gustane 1
Harry 1
Horace 1
James 1
Jose 1
Joseph 1
Juan 1
Leon 1
Louise 1
Lucia 1
Mannuel 1
Phillip 1
Raphael 1
Sevelovia 1
Solomon 1
Tridoro 1
Venerlviv 1
Victor 1
Walter 1
William 1

FAQ

Garcia surname: questions and answers

How common was the Garcia surname in 1881?

In 1881, 136 people were recorded with the Garcia surname. That placed it at #16,433 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Garcia surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,488 in 2016. That gives Garcia a modern rank of #1,517.

What does the Garcia surname mean?

A patronymic surname of Spanish origin meaning "son of Garcia," which itself derived from the Basque word meaning "young bear."

What does the Garcia map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Garcia 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.