NameCensus.

UK surname

Garson

A occupational surname derived from the French gars meaning "boy" or "servant".

In the 1881 census there were 257 people recorded with the Garson surname, ranking it #10,861 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 245, ranked #17,049, down from #10,861 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rousay and Egilsay, Swanscombe and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Isles, Stromness, Sandwick and Stenness and West Mainland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Garson is 407 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.7%.

1881 census count

257

Ranked #10,861

Modern count

245

2016, ranked #17,049

Peak year

1861

407 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Garson had 257 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,861 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 245 in 2016, ranked #17,049.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 407 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Garson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Garson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Garson 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 219 #9,712
1861 historical 407 #6,306
1881 historical 257 #10,861
1891 historical 294 #11,288
1901 historical 258 #12,875
1911 historical 124 #20,023
1997 modern 219 #16,666
1998 modern 234 #16,404
1999 modern 234 #16,506
2000 modern 243 #16,053
2001 modern 225 #16,664
2002 modern 231 #16,677
2003 modern 228 #16,663
2004 modern 235 #16,379
2005 modern 231 #16,529
2006 modern 233 #16,560
2007 modern 237 #16,571
2008 modern 240 #16,535
2009 modern 233 #17,241
2010 modern 238 #17,323
2011 modern 235 #17,328
2012 modern 233 #17,339
2013 modern 236 #17,472
2014 modern 245 #17,140
2015 modern 248 #16,905
2016 modern 245 #17,049

Geography

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Where Garsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rousay and Egilsay, Swanscombe, Edinburgh, Manchester and Stromness. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Isles, Stromness, Sandwick and Stenness, West Mainland, Granton West and Salvesen and East Mainland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Rousay and Egilsay Orkney
2 Swanscombe Kent
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Stromness Orkney

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Isles Orkney Islands
2 Stromness, Sandwick and Stenness Orkney Islands
3 West Mainland Orkney Islands
4 Granton West and Salvesen City of Edinburgh
5 East Mainland Orkney Islands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Garson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Garson

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Garson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Garson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Garson is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Garson 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

Garson falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Garson

The surname Garson originated from the Anglo-Norman French word "garçon" meaning "boy" or "servant". It dates back to the early medieval period in England and France. The name was likely first used as a descriptive surname for a young male servant or attendant.

The earliest recorded examples of the Garson surname appear in English historical records from the late 13th century. It can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a William Garson is listed. The name is also present in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1275, referencing a Hugo Garson.

In Scotland, the name Garson is thought to have derived from the similar-sounding Gaelic surname "Gearson", meaning "son of the gardener". This variant is found in records from the 16th century onwards, such as the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland from 1585, which mentions a John Gearson.

One of the earliest notable bearers of the Garson surname was John Garson, a prominent English merchant and alderman who lived in the city of Bristol in the 15th century. He served as Mayor of Bristol in 1454 and 1464.

Another historically significant individual with this surname was David Garson, a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1591 to 1668. He published several influential works on navigation and astronomy during his lifetime.

In the literary world, the English writer and dramatist David Garson (1641-1719) is noteworthy. He wrote several successful plays and was a member of the prestigious Kit-Cat Club in London.

The name Garson also has connections to place names in England, such as the village of Garsdon in Wiltshire. This place name is believed to be derived from the Old English words "gaers" meaning "grass" and "dun" meaning "hill", suggesting a potential link to the surname's origins.

One of the most famous bearers of the Garson surname in more recent history was the American actress Greer Garson (1904-1996). She achieved widespread acclaim for her performances in films such as "Mrs. Miniver" and "Madame Curie", winning an Academy Award for the former in 1942.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Garson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Garson 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. Orkney leads with 144 Garsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 522.12x.

County Total Index
Orkney 144 522.12x
Middlesex 22 0.88x
Lancashire 21 0.71x
Cheshire 8 1.45x
Kent 8 0.94x
Monmouthshire 8 4.41x
Yorkshire 6 0.24x
Lanarkshire 5 0.62x
Northumberland 5 1.34x
Staffordshire 5 0.59x
Sussex 5 1.18x
Wigtownshire 5 15.02x
Ayrshire 3 1.60x
Midlothian 3 0.89x
Cornwall 2 0.70x
Stirlingshire 2 2.16x
Surrey 2 0.16x
Caithness 1 2.91x
Flintshire 1 1.48x
Somerset 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sandwick in Orkney leads with 67 Garsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 6504.85x.

Place Total Index
Sandwick 67 6504.85x
Stromness 31 1497.58x
Birsay Harray 22 1100.00x
Rousay Egilshay 11 1145.83x
St Woollos 8 39.56x
Allostock 7 1627.91x
Kirkwall St Ola 7 169.49x
St Marylebone London 7 5.23x
Ashford 5 60.02x
Bilston 5 30.49x
Bolney 5 724.64x
Bootle Cum Linacre 5 21.17x
Cross Burness N 5 347.22x
Maghull 5 406.50x
Stranraer 5 164.47x
Featherstone 4 143.37x
Liverpool 4 2.21x
Mile End Old Town London 4 7.50x
Tynemouth 4 20.03x
Dundonald 3 43.35x
Govan 3 1.50x
Hampstead London 3 7.68x
Camberwell 2 1.25x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 1.48x
Falkirk 2 9.24x
Madron Penzance 2 19.38x
Mile End New Town London 2 40.40x
Sevenoaks 2 28.86x
Shadwell London 2 28.53x
St Pancras London 2 0.99x
West Derby 2 2.30x
Barony 1 0.49x
Bridgewater 1 9.13x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 2.12x
Darenth 1 75.76x
Edinburgh St Marys 1 15.31x
Elswick 1 3.36x
Islington London 1 0.41x
Kensington London 1 0.72x
Kingstonupon Hull 1 50.25x
Little Bolton 1 2.61x
Manchester 1 0.75x
Nether Hallam 1 2.98x
Newchurch 1 4.11x
Rhuddlan 1 16.86x
Sandbach 1 21.19x
Thurso 1 18.69x
Tradeston 1 769.23x
Walls Flotta 1 77.52x
Warrington 1 2.84x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Elizabeth 4
Alice 3
Ann 3
Eliza 3
Sarah 3
Annie 2
Florence 2
Louisa 2
Margaret 2
Anne 1
Barbara 1
Christino 1
Clara 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Florentina 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Katherine 1
Laura 1
Margraet 1
Margt. 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
May 1
Selina 1
Williamena 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 6
William 6
Thomas 4
John 3
Charles 2
Cornelius 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Henry 1
Jerexee 1
Joseph 1
Matthew 1
Micheal 1
Patrick 1
Radford 1
Stanley 1
Stephen 1
Wm.P.J. 1

FAQ

Garson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Garson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 257 people were recorded with the Garson surname. That placed it at #10,861 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Garson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 245 in 2016. That gives Garson a modern rank of #17,049.

What does the Garson surname mean?

A occupational surname derived from the French gars meaning "boy" or "servant".

What does the Garson map show?

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