UK surname
A habitational name derived from an old place name in Ireland.
In the 1881 census there were 134 people recorded with the Garraty surname, ranking it #16,602 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 28, ranked #36,125, down from #16,602 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Silkstone, Gateshead and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Garraty is 134 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 79.1%.
1881 census count
134
Ranked #16,602
Modern count
28
2016, ranked #36,125
Peak year
1881
134 bearers
Map years
2
1861 to 1881
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Garraty surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Garraty surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 59 | #22,756 |
| 1861 | historical | 119 | #18,393 |
| 1881 | historical | 134 | #16,602 |
| 1891 | historical | 61 | #29,103 |
| 1901 | historical | 50 | #28,590 |
| 1911 | historical | 88 | #24,041 |
| 1997 | modern | 36 | #34,071 |
| 1998 | modern | 39 | #33,967 |
| 1999 | modern | 38 | #34,142 |
| 2000 | modern | 31 | #34,798 |
| 2001 | modern | 29 | #34,839 |
| 2002 | modern | 31 | #34,866 |
| 2003 | modern | 33 | #34,773 |
| 2004 | modern | 33 | #34,947 |
| 2005 | modern | 31 | #35,260 |
| 2006 | modern | 30 | #35,526 |
| 2007 | modern | 30 | #35,661 |
| 2008 | modern | 33 | #35,556 |
| 2009 | modern | 35 | #35,545 |
| 2010 | modern | 37 | #35,566 |
| 2011 | modern | 36 | #35,613 |
| 2012 | modern | 32 | #35,820 |
| 2013 | modern | 28 | #36,096 |
| 2014 | modern | 29 | #36,058 |
| 2015 | modern | 28 | #36,106 |
| 2016 | modern | 28 | #36,125 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Silkstone, Gateshead, Manchester, Bidstone and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Silkstone | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| 2 | Gateshead | Durham |
| 3 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 4 | Bidstone | Cheshire |
| 5 | Liverpool | Lancashire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Garraty surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Garraty, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Garraty surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Garraty household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Garraty is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Garraty is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Garraty, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Garraty originated in Ireland and is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "garbh," meaning "rough" or "rugged." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a rugged or mountainous area.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Garraty can be traced back to the 16th century in County Galway, Ireland. Historical records from that period often show variations in spelling, such as Garraty, Garity, Garrity, and Garraty.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Seán Ó Garraty, a farmer who lived in the village of Carna, County Galway, in the late 1500s. His name appears in several local land records from that time.
In the 17th century, the name Garraty was found in various parts of Ireland, including counties Sligo, Mayo, and Donegal. This suggests that the family had begun to spread out from their original base in Galway.
A notable figure bearing the name was Mícheál Ó Garraty, a poet and scribe from County Mayo, who lived from 1670 to 1745. He is known for his collection of Irish poems and writings, which have been preserved in the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford.
In the 18th century, the name Garraty appeared in historical records in other parts of Europe, particularly in France and Spain. This may be attributed to Irish emigration during that period.
One prominent individual was Juan Garraty, a Spanish military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in Cádiz, Spain, in 1787 and served in various campaigns against the French forces.
Another notable bearer of the name was Patrick Garraty, an Irish-born soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He was born in County Mayo in 1750 and later emigrated to the American colonies, where he joined the Continental Army.
In the 19th century, the Garraty name continued to be found in Ireland, as well as in various parts of the United Kingdom and the United States, where many Irish immigrants had settled.
A well-known figure from this period was John Garraty, an American historian and author who was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1920. He wrote extensively on American history and served as the editor of the American Heritage Dictionary of American History.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Garraty surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 54 Garratys recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.48x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 54 | 3.48x |
| Yorkshire | 25 | 1.93x |
| Durham | 10 | 2.57x |
| Lanarkshire | 10 | 2.37x |
| Staffordshire | 9 | 2.04x |
| Warwickshire | 9 | 2.73x |
| Surrey | 6 | 0.94x |
| Nottinghamshire | 4 | 2.27x |
| Leicestershire | 3 | 2.07x |
| Cheshire | 1 | 0.35x |
| Middlesex | 1 | 0.08x |
| Midlothian | 1 | 0.57x |
| Northumberland | 1 | 0.51x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barnsley in Yorkshire leads with 13 Garratys recorded in 1881 and an index of 97.31x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Barnsley | 13 | 97.31x |
| Gateshead | 10 | 34.35x |
| Liverpool | 9 | 9.56x |
| Newton In Makerfield | 8 | 168.42x |
| Birmingham | 7 | 6.37x |
| Salford | 7 | 15.35x |
| Sheffield | 7 | 16.98x |
| Tipton | 7 | 51.81x |
| Gorbals | 6 | 239.04x |
| Windle | 6 | 68.73x |
| Rotherhithe | 5 | 30.96x |
| Blackburn | 4 | 9.69x |
| Mansfield | 4 | 65.57x |
| Preston | 4 | 9.64x |
| Wardleworth | 4 | 45.15x |
| Chorlton On Medlock | 3 | 12.18x |
| Govan | 3 | 2.87x |
| Leicester St Margaret | 3 | 8.49x |
| West Derby | 3 | 6.61x |
| Aston | 2 | 2.20x |
| Doncaster | 2 | 21.14x |
| Long Marston | 2 | 1250.00x |
| Ashton Under Lyne | 1 | 2.95x |
| Bootle Cum Linacre | 1 | 8.12x |
| Bothwell | 1 | 8.73x |
| Ecclesfield | 1 | 10.53x |
| Farington | 1 | 111.11x |
| Great Bolton | 1 | 4.87x |
| Kensington London | 1 | 1.38x |
| Manchester | 1 | 1.43x |
| Newcastle On Tyne All Sts | 1 | 8.61x |
| Parbold | 1 | 416.67x |
| Penge | 1 | 11.98x |
| South Leith | 1 | 5.08x |
| Stoke Upon Trent | 1 | 2.14x |
| Stretton In Runcorn | 1 | 555.56x |
| Wolstanton | 1 | 7.46x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Garraty surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Garraty surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Garraty households.
FAQ
In 1881, 134 people were recorded with the Garraty surname. That placed it at #16,602 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 28 in 2016. That gives Garraty a modern rank of #36,125.
A habitational name derived from an old place name in Ireland.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Garraty bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.