NameCensus.

UK surname

Garrington

A locational surname originating from a place named Garrington in England.

In the 1881 census there were 194 people recorded with the Garrington surname, ranking it #13,097 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 426, ranked #11,279, up from #13,097 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Darlaston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dudley, Walsall and Scarborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Garrington is 472 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 119.6%.

1881 census count

194

Ranked #13,097

Modern count

426

2016, ranked #11,279

Peak year

1999

472 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Garrington had 194 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,097 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 426 in 2016, ranked #11,279.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 309 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Garrington surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Garrington surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Garrington 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 98 #17,383
1861 historical 148 #15,452
1881 historical 194 #13,097
1891 historical 216 #14,107
1901 historical 239 #13,489
1911 historical 309 #11,203
1997 modern 448 #10,113
1998 modern 463 #10,192
1999 modern 472 #10,083
2000 modern 450 #10,433
2001 modern 447 #10,294
2002 modern 468 #10,117
2003 modern 464 #10,003
2004 modern 449 #10,338
2005 modern 443 #10,331
2006 modern 443 #10,369
2007 modern 447 #10,388
2008 modern 451 #10,394
2009 modern 459 #10,502
2010 modern 468 #10,550
2011 modern 462 #10,570
2012 modern 438 #10,896
2013 modern 432 #11,210
2014 modern 441 #11,082
2015 modern 441 #10,994
2016 modern 426 #11,279

Geography

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Where Garringtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Darlaston, Stranton and Walsall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dudley, Walsall and Scarborough. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Darlaston Staffordshire
4 Stranton Durham
5 Walsall Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dudley 035 Dudley
2 Walsall 036 Walsall
3 Dudley 038 Dudley
4 Scarborough 010 Scarborough
5 Walsall 004 Walsall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Garrington

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Garrington

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Garrington, 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 Garrington surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Garrington 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, Garrington 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

Garrington 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

Garrington falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Garrington

The surname GARRINGTON is of English origin, derived from the medieval place name "Garrington" in Yorkshire. This place name is believed to have evolved from the Old English words "gara" meaning triangular piece of land, and "ing" denoting a meadow or enclosure.

The earliest known record of the surname dates back to the late 12th century, appearing in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1197 as "Robert de Garrington". This suggests that the surname was initially adopted by families residing in or near the village of Garrington.

In the 13th century, the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners and tenants in England. The entry "Robertus de Garyngton" likely refers to a descendant of the aforementioned Robert de Garrington.

During the 14th century, the surname appears in various spellings, including "Garyngton", "Garryngton", and "Garyngeton", reflecting the evolving nature of English orthography at the time.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir William Garrington (c.1380-1459), a distinguished knight who served under King Henry V during the Hundred Years' War. He was rewarded with lands in Northamptonshire for his loyal service.

Another prominent figure was John Garrington (c.1520-1586), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the City of London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was also a benefactor of Christ's Hospital, a renowned school for underprivileged children.

In the 17th century, the surname is found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire, with the baptism of "Johanna Garrington" recorded in 1612.

During the English Civil War (1642-1651), a Captain Thomas Garrington (c.1610-1678) is documented as serving in the Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell's command.

By the 18th century, the surname had spread across England, with records indicating Garringtons residing in various counties, including Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Lancashire.

One notable individual from this period was Reverend William Garrington (1715-1791), a respected clergyman and author who published several theological works and sermons.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Garrington families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Garrington 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 68 Garringtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.65x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 68 10.65x
Durham 36 6.40x
Warwickshire 27 5.66x
Gloucestershire 11 2.96x
Somerset 10 3.28x
Middlesex 9 0.48x
Hampshire 8 2.06x
Kent 8 1.24x
Lancashire 7 0.31x
Shropshire 6 3.67x
Cambridgeshire 3 2.50x
Northumberland 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 23 Garringtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.46x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 23 14.46x
Darlaston 23 260.48x
Darlington 13 59.83x
Bedminster 10 34.94x
Wolverhampton 10 20.36x
West Bromwich 9 24.61x
Lewisham 8 23.24x
Portsea 8 10.52x
Southwick 8 150.09x
Gateshead 7 16.61x
Stranton 7 36.94x
Wednesbury 7 43.86x
Bristol St George 6 34.97x
Claverley 6 545.45x
Mile End Old Town London 6 14.90x
Warrington 6 22.54x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 5 14.31x
Willenhall 5 41.81x
Tettenhall 4 102.56x
Walsall Foreign 4 12.12x
Aston 3 2.28x
Kingswinford 3 12.94x
Mepal 3 1250.00x
Bromley London 2 4.80x
Alnwick 1 20.66x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 5.61x
Harborne 1 4.89x
Hurworth 1 101.01x
Kensington London 1 0.95x
Solihull 1 29.15x
Walsall Borough 1 20.16x
Wednesfield 1 10.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Elizabeth 8
Emma 8
Fanny 6
Sarah 6
Eliza 4
Florence 4
Alice 3
Ann 3
Catherine 3
Hannah 3
Margaret 3
Maria 3
Charlotte 2
Ellen 2
Jane 2
Rosehannah 2
Adalaid 1
Agnes 1
Agness 1
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Blanch 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Emm 1
Ethel 1
Gertrude 1
Harriet 1
Hilley 1
Jerald 1
John 1
Lily 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Matilda 1
Middian 1
Phoebe 1
Ruth 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 12
George 9
Thomas 8
Henry 7
John 7
Joseph 7
Arthur 5
James 5
Benjamin 3
David 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Charles 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Job 2
Richard 2
Benjn. 1
Bertram 1
Danzie 1
Dauzir 1
Edwin 1
Elijah 1
Frederick 1
Fredrick 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Josiah 1
Martin 1
Moses 1
Percey 1
Samuel 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Garrington surname: questions and answers

How common was the Garrington surname in 1881?

In 1881, 194 people were recorded with the Garrington surname. That placed it at #13,097 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Garrington surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 426 in 2016. That gives Garrington a modern rank of #11,279.

What does the Garrington surname mean?

A locational surname originating from a place named Garrington in England.

What does the Garrington map show?

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