NameCensus.

UK surname

Garner

An occupational surname referring to someone who managed or worked in a granary or barn.

In the 1881 census there were 9,464 people recorded with the Garner surname, ranking it #450 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 13,893, ranked #459, down from #450 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Holland, Cheshire West and Chester and Harborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Garner is 14,755 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.8%.

1881 census count

9,464

Ranked #450

Modern count

13,893

2016, ranked #459

Peak year

1999

14,755 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Garner had 9,464 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #450 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 13,893 in 2016, ranked #459.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 13,985 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Garner surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Garner surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Garner 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 5,735 #485
1861 historical 5,323 #526
1881 historical 9,464 #450
1891 historical 9,805 #448
1901 historical 12,422 #421
1911 historical 13,985 #350
1997 modern 13,944 #436
1998 modern 14,588 #432
1999 modern 14,755 #428
2000 modern 14,623 #433
2001 modern 14,296 #432
2002 modern 14,555 #431
2003 modern 14,166 #431
2004 modern 14,136 #431
2005 modern 13,806 #437
2006 modern 13,757 #439
2007 modern 13,769 #442
2008 modern 13,780 #448
2009 modern 14,049 #449
2010 modern 14,303 #449
2011 modern 14,071 #451
2012 modern 13,744 #452
2013 modern 14,018 #456
2014 modern 14,121 #457
2015 modern 13,993 #457
2016 modern 13,893 #459

Geography

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Where Garners are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, London parishes, Manchester, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Holland, Cheshire West and Chester, Harborough and Fenland. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Holland 008 South Holland
2 Cheshire West and Chester 015 Cheshire West and Chester
3 Cheshire West and Chester 002 Cheshire West and Chester
4 Harborough 005 Harborough
5 Fenland 003 Fenland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Garner

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Garner

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Garner surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Garner 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Garner is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Garner is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Garner falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Garner 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 Garner, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Garner

The surname GARNER has its origins in England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "garan" meaning a triangular piece of land, and "iere" meaning a person who tends to something. Thus, GARNER was an occupational surname given to a person who tended to a triangular plot of land or a grove of trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the GARNER surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "Walter le Garner". The name is also mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where it is spelled as "Johannes Garnere".

During the Middle Ages, the GARNER surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire. It is believed that the name may have originated from the village of Garner's Green, which is now a part of Birmingham.

In the 16th century, the GARNER surname can be found in various historical records, including the Muster Rolls of 1539, where a "Robert Garner" is listed as a soldier from Oxfordshire. Another notable figure from this period is Thomas Garner (c. 1520-1595), an English clergyman who served as the Dean of Winchester Cathedral.

In the 17th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the GARNER surname was Sir Thomas Garner (1592-1676), an English judge and Member of Parliament. He served as the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer from 1660 to 1676.

During the 18th century, John Garner (1711-1796) was a notable English landscape gardener who designed gardens for several aristocratic estates. Another individual of note was Richard Garner (1756-1827), a British naval officer who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.

In the 19th century, one of the most famous individuals with the GARNER surname was Thomas Garner (1809-1898), an English writer and poet who published several works, including "The Annals of Chepstow Castle" and "The Upper Ward of Chepstow Castle".

Moving into the 20th century, a notable figure with the GARNER surname was Erroll Garner (1921-1977), an American jazz pianist and composer who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his era.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Garner families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Garner 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 1,762 Garners recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.61x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,762 1.61x
Cheshire 1,053 5.17x
Middlesex 940 1.02x
Yorkshire 745 0.81x
Leicestershire 726 7.09x
Staffordshire 522 1.67x
Lincolnshire 368 2.49x
Bedfordshire 354 7.40x
Warwickshire 333 1.43x
Cambridgeshire 291 4.98x
Surrey 274 0.61x
Nottinghamshire 219 1.76x
Northamptonshire 198 2.28x
Norfolk 177 1.25x
Buckinghamshire 173 3.10x
Derbyshire 170 1.18x
Kent 153 0.49x
Suffolk 106 0.94x
Hertfordshire 104 1.63x
Sussex 102 0.66x
Huntingdonshire 98 5.35x
Worcestershire 87 0.72x
Cumberland 63 0.79x
Denbighshire 57 1.63x
Essex 46 0.25x
Gloucestershire 44 0.24x
Durham 40 0.15x
Shropshire 35 0.44x
Hampshire 34 0.18x
Rutland 23 3.39x
Flintshire 22 0.89x
Oxfordshire 21 0.37x
Lanarkshire 20 0.07x
Dorset 12 0.20x
Cardiganshire 10 0.44x
Berkshire 9 0.13x
Somerset 9 0.06x
Wiltshire 9 0.11x
Montgomeryshire 8 0.38x
Ayrshire 7 0.10x
Midlothian 7 0.06x
Northumberland 6 0.04x
Carmarthenshire 5 0.13x
Devon 5 0.03x
Glamorgan 5 0.03x
Royal Navy 3 0.27x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.02x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.05x
Cornwall 2 0.02x
Herefordshire 1 0.03x
Monmouthshire 1 0.02x
Peeblesshire 1 0.23x
Renfrewshire 1 0.01x
Wigtownshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 226 Garners recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.05x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 226 9.05x
Stockport 106 10.11x
Stoke Upon Trent 105 3.18x
Islington London 101 1.13x
Toxteth Park 97 2.61x
Fleckney 93 382.09x
St Pancras London 92 1.24x
Manchester 91 1.85x
Eccleston In Prescot 90 16.36x
Everton 90 2.58x
Salford 85 2.64x
Burslem 77 8.62x
Bethnal Green London 76 1.89x
Hulme 75 3.28x
Liverpool 72 1.08x
West Derby 68 2.12x
Wolverhampton 65 2.71x
Birmingham 64 0.82x
Altrincham 62 17.41x
Aston 62 0.97x
Pendleton In Salford 62 4.75x
Kirkburton 60 55.62x
Sutton St Mary 60 42.98x
Birkenhead 56 3.45x
Nottingham St Mary 56 1.74x
Willingham 55 110.07x
Camberwell 49 0.83x
Lambeth 45 0.56x
Sutton 45 12.25x
Cheadle 44 11.30x
Newton 44 5.21x
St Marylebone London 43 0.87x
Brightside Bierlow 42 2.34x
Clerkenwell London 42 1.93x
Paddington London 42 1.24x
Biggleswade 41 26.18x
Hackney London 41 0.79x
Bow London 38 3.23x
Bollin Fee 37 40.93x
Chorlton On Medlock 37 2.13x
Gorton 36 3.50x
Battersea 35 1.03x
Bradford 35 1.58x
Coventry St Michael 35 4.68x
Lowestoft 35 6.59x
Preston 35 1.19x
Northchurch 34 50.03x
Bramhall 33 39.09x
Frodsham 33 41.79x
Thrussington 33 171.43x
West Ham 32 0.80x
Barton Upon Irwell 31 3.76x
Gosberton 31 47.26x
Peterborough 31 4.93x
Batley 30 3.45x
Kempston 30 27.64x
Poynton 30 43.78x
Shoreditch London 30 0.75x
Kensington London 29 0.56x
Sheffield 29 1.00x
Burbage 28 52.39x
Deptford St Paul 28 1.15x
Horsham 28 9.26x
Margate St John Baptist 28 4.85x
Hornsey 27 2.31x
Kirkby In Ashfield 27 20.28x
Lower Darwen 27 18.77x
Mile End Old Town London 27 1.37x
Newington 27 0.79x
Radcliffe 27 5.11x
Willenhall 27 4.62x
Blackburn 26 0.89x
Cranfield 26 56.57x
Hook 26 12.92x
Monks Coppenhall 26 3.38x
Sale 26 10.40x
Toddington 26 37.92x
West Bromwich 26 1.46x
Chelsea London 25 0.90x
Wolstanton 25 2.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 708
Elizabeth 417
Sarah 412
Ann 193
Emma 161
Eliza 155
Jane 154
Hannah 142
Alice 135
Annie 135
Ellen 125
Martha 107
Margaret 85
Emily 69
Charlotte 62
Catherine 60
Harriet 58
Florence 57
Louisa 57
Maria 57
Edith 53
Fanny 53
Ada 50
Lucy 44
Clara 41
Kate 38
Caroline 35
Esther 35
Susan 35
Anne 33
Rebecca 31
Harriett 29
Frances 28
Agnes 25
Matilda 25
Elizth. 24
Rose 23
Isabella 22
Amelia 21
Amy 19
Lizzie 17
Sophia 17
Ethel 16
Selina 16
Beatrice 15
Betsy 15
Lydia 15
Susannah 15
Minnie 13
Gertrude 12

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 596
John 595
Thomas 378
George 354
James 332
Joseph 233
Charles 180
Henry 172
Alfred 106
Samuel 99
Frederick 96
Arthur 92
Robert 86
Edward 82
Walter 80
Richard 58
Harry 57
Albert 46
Herbert 44
David 40
Edwin 36
Peter 30
Daniel 28
Thos. 27
Ernest 26
Frank 26
Wm. 25
Benjamin 23
Fred 23
Isaac 20
Stephen 18
Francis 17
Geo. 16
Christopher 12
Fredk. 12
Edmund 9
Willm. 9
Aaron 8
Allen 8
Andrew 8
Job 8
Nathaniel 8
Jacob 7
Levi 7
Mark 7
Percy 7
Philip 7
Sam 7
Saml. 7
Tom 7

FAQ

Garner surname: questions and answers

How common was the Garner surname in 1881?

In 1881, 9,464 people were recorded with the Garner surname. That placed it at #450 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Garner surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 13,893 in 2016. That gives Garner a modern rank of #459.

What does the Garner surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who managed or worked in a granary or barn.

What does the Garner map show?

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