NameCensus.

UK surname

Garlick

An English occupational surname referring to a grower, seller, or cultivator of garlic.

In the 1881 census there were 2,639 people recorded with the Garlick surname, ranking it #1,684 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,434, ranked #2,706, down from #1,684 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, London parishes and Glossop. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees, High Peak and Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Garlick is 3,453 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 7.8%.

1881 census count

2,639

Ranked #1,684

Modern count

2,434

2016, ranked #2,706

Peak year

1911

3,453 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Garlick had 2,639 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,684 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,434 in 2016, ranked #2,706.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,453 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Garlick surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Garlick surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Garlick 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 1,807 #1,592
1861 historical 1,718 #1,675
1881 historical 2,639 #1,684
1891 historical 2,904 #1,623
1901 historical 3,368 #1,654
1911 historical 3,453 #1,519
1997 modern 2,656 #2,400
1998 modern 2,767 #2,399
1999 modern 2,754 #2,424
2000 modern 2,750 #2,418
2001 modern 2,664 #2,433
2002 modern 2,658 #2,481
2003 modern 2,567 #2,502
2004 modern 2,540 #2,529
2005 modern 2,520 #2,526
2006 modern 2,522 #2,530
2007 modern 2,519 #2,549
2008 modern 2,499 #2,582
2009 modern 2,556 #2,594
2010 modern 2,572 #2,634
2011 modern 2,529 #2,647
2012 modern 2,473 #2,648
2013 modern 2,495 #2,668
2014 modern 2,512 #2,669
2015 modern 2,472 #2,684
2016 modern 2,434 #2,706

Geography

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Where Garlicks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, London parishes, Glossop and Preston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees, High Peak and Newcastle-under-Lyme. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Glossop Derbyshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Preston Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 059 Kirklees
2 High Peak 006 High Peak
3 High Peak 013 High Peak
4 High Peak 010 High Peak
5 Newcastle-under-Lyme 005 Newcastle-under-Lyme

Forenames

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First names often paired with Garlick

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Garlick

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Garlick surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Garlick household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Garlick is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Garlick 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

Garlick falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Garlick is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Garlick

The surname Garlick has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "gar" meaning spear and "leac" meaning leek or garden plant. Initially spelled as "Garlec" or "Garleck", it referred to someone who grew or sold garlic or leeks.

The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, mentioning a William Garlec. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327 also include a reference to a John Garlick. These medieval records suggest the name was present in various regions of England during that period.

In the 16th century, the surname appears in the parish records of Stoke Dry in Rutland, where a John Garlick was mentioned in 1585. The spelling variations during this time included "Garlicke", "Garleck", and "Garlyk". One notable individual was Thomas Garlick, born in 1588 in Leicestershire, who became a prominent landowner and member of the gentry.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Garlick. However, it does mention several place names that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as Garlic Street in London and Garlic Hill in Hertfordshire.

Other notable individuals with the surname Garlick include:

1. Sir Samuel Garlick (1652-1718), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament for Northampton. 2. Benjamin Garlick (1720-1787), an English engraver and printmaker known for his portraits and landscapes. 3. Theodric Romeyn Garlick (1805-1888), an American physician and pioneer settler in Michigan. 4. Alfred Norman Garlick (1865-1940), a British architect known for his work on churches and public buildings. 5. Virginia Garlick (1918-2003), an American author and illustrator of children's books.

While the surname Garlick is not among the most common in England, it has persisted over centuries and can be traced back to the medieval period. Its origins reflect the occupational and locational naming practices prevalent in early English society.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Garlick families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Garlick 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. Lancashire leads with 614 Garlicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.01x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 614 2.01x
Yorkshire 389 1.53x
Derbyshire 257 6.38x
Cheshire 166 2.92x
Surrey 162 1.29x
Middlesex 124 0.48x
Warwickshire 116 1.79x
Gloucestershire 115 2.28x
Northamptonshire 107 4.42x
Wiltshire 104 4.57x
Berkshire 73 3.78x
Kent 56 0.64x
Oxfordshire 47 2.96x
Staffordshire 45 0.52x
Midlothian 37 1.07x
Leicestershire 28 0.98x
Bedfordshire 26 1.95x
Worcestershire 26 0.77x
Somerset 20 0.48x
Durham 18 0.24x
Lincolnshire 14 0.34x
Hampshire 12 0.23x
Sussex 12 0.28x
Lanarkshire 11 0.13x
Glamorgan 8 0.18x
Essex 7 0.14x
Westmorland 7 1.24x
Cornwall 6 0.21x
Devon 6 0.11x
Buckinghamshire 5 0.32x
Renfrewshire 4 0.20x
Cumberland 2 0.09x
Northumberland 2 0.05x
West Lothian 2 0.52x
Angus 1 0.04x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.06x
Denbighshire 1 0.10x
East Lothian 1 0.29x
Herefordshire 1 0.09x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.03x
Ross-shire 1 0.14x
Rutland 1 0.53x
Suffolk 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glossop Dale in Derbyshire leads with 138 Garlicks recorded in 1881 and an index of 73.17x.

Place Total Index
Glossop Dale 138 73.17x
Oldham 106 10.76x
Aston 51 2.86x
Preston 38 4.65x
Ashton Under Lyne 36 5.40x
Dukinfield 34 12.96x
Sheffield 34 4.19x
Lambeth 30 1.34x
Cholsey 29 189.79x
Greenhalgh With 29 865.67x
Ecclesall Bierlow 24 4.63x
Wormhill 24 284.70x
Holme In Huddersfield 23 385.26x
Chadderton 21 14.07x
Gorton 21 7.32x
Meltham 21 52.98x
Pontefract 21 38.24x
Chapel En Le Frith 20 54.39x
Croydon 18 2.59x
Macclesfield 18 7.13x
Malmesbury St Paul 18 91.98x
Newton 18 7.65x
Coventry St Michael 17 8.16x
Kensington London 17 1.19x
Rastrick 17 24.01x
Bradford 16 2.59x
Denton 16 23.65x
Greens Norton 16 208.33x
Greenwich 16 3.91x
Kenilworth 16 43.75x
Stayley 16 24.65x
Camberwell 15 0.91x
Cartworth 15 71.16x
Clitheroe 15 16.70x
Deptford St Paul 15 2.22x
Yeardsley Cum Whaley 15 133.93x
Bibury 14 230.26x
Chorlton On Medlock 14 2.89x
Eccleshall 14 42.53x
Kintbury 14 93.83x
Newington 14 1.47x
Northampton All Sts 14 17.05x
Royton 14 14.99x
Coventry Holy Trinity 13 6.71x
Currie 13 61.61x
Failsworth 13 18.62x
Kingston On Thames 13 4.32x
Newton In Ashton Under 13 23.20x
Ratho 13 80.90x
St Pancras London 13 0.63x
Disley Stanley 12 41.05x
Hyde 12 7.16x
Market Harborough 12 93.10x
Westport St Mary 12 72.82x
Caterham 11 19.86x
Cheltenham 11 2.83x
Govan 11 0.53x
Higher Booths 11 19.99x
Hollingworth 11 46.99x
Nether Hallam 11 3.19x
Shoreditch London 11 0.99x
Spotland 11 3.24x
Stourbridge 11 12.73x
Turvey 11 130.64x
Walcot 11 4.99x
Battersea 10 1.06x
Beswick 10 12.81x
Britwell Prior 10 2222.22x
Chesterfield 10 6.62x
Dallington 10 70.32x
Everton 10 1.03x
Ewelme 10 190.84x
Fulham London 10 2.68x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 10 10.83x
Lyneham 10 112.49x
Saddleworth 10 5.09x
Woolwich 10 3.08x
Barnsley 9 3.42x
Stratford On Avon 9 25.01x
West Wickham 9 106.13x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 180
Sarah 110
Elizabeth 95
Jane 53
Ann 52
Alice 45
Ellen 44
Emily 41
Martha 41
Annie 38
Emma 36
Hannah 32
Eliza 28
Margaret 28
Louisa 22
Harriet 19
Ada 16
Maria 15
Clara 13
Kate 13
Charlotte 12
Fanny 12
Florence 12
Edith 11
Elizth. 11
Lucy 11
Betty 10
Catherine 10
Bertha 8
Caroline 8
Lydia 8
Agnes 7
Amy 7
Esther 7
Frances 7
Isabella 7
Amelia 6
Anne 6
Harriett 6
Matilda 6
Rose 6
Ruth 6
Selina 6
Minnie 5
Sophia 5
Florance 4
Helen 4
Helena 4
Katherine 4
Rosa 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 181
William 174
George 102
Thomas 94
James 77
Joseph 63
Charles 53
Henry 39
Robert 28
Arthur 25
Walter 22
Samuel 19
Frederick 18
Harry 18
Herbert 17
Alfred 16
Richard 16
Albert 14
Edward 13
Ernest 11
Frank 9
Fred 9
Jonathan 7
Wm. 6
Abel 5
Daniel 5
David 4
Edmund 4
Edwin 4
Francis 4
Fredrick 4
Joe 4
Thos. 4
Abraham 3
Ben 3
Chas. 3
Christopher 3
Elijah 3
Gilbert 3
Horace 3
Jacob 3
Jas. 3
Joshua 3
Josiah 3
Lionel 3
Mark 3
Matthew 3
Peter 3
Raymond 3
Tom 3

FAQ

Garlick surname: questions and answers

How common was the Garlick surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,639 people were recorded with the Garlick surname. That placed it at #1,684 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Garlick surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,434 in 2016. That gives Garlick a modern rank of #2,706.

What does the Garlick surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a grower, seller, or cultivator of garlic.

What does the Garlick map show?

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