The Garnett surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 10,370 people carried this name — #3,445 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 28,400 people counted. That is up 5% from 9,849 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Garnett surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Garnet’.

An early record he cites: Vivianus Gernet, 1245–46 (30 Henry III) — Calendarium Genealogicum, Henry III–Edward I.

His entry covers Garnet and Garnett.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 309 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Garnett was found among the farmers of 3 counties.

It was most frequent in Cumberland and Westmorland: 25 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 400. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Cumberland and Westmorland 25
Lancashire 16
Cheshire 9

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

25 families named Garnett, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 134 people lived in those households, 5.4 to a family on average. The table counts it together with one other spelling. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 14
South Carolina 3
New York 2
Maryland 2
Virginia 2
Pennsylvania 1
North Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 241 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Garnett in American newspapers,
1912–1914.

Newspaper page from Big Arm Graphic carrying the name Garnett
Big Arm Graphic 1912-12-11
Newspaper page from Chariton Courier carrying the name Garnett
Chariton Courier 1914-12-11
Newspaper page from Chariton Courier carrying the name Garnett
Chariton Courier 1914-12-18

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Garnett in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

11,085 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Garnett. The most, 2,002, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Australian Capital Territory, at 2.2 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 3,071
Victoria 2,650
South Australia 1,840
Western Australia 1,612
Queensland 1,355
Tasmania 329
ACT (Canberra) 186
Northern Territory 9

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Garnett.

Who carried it

People named Garnett,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Martin Garnett d. 1582 · politician
  • Mary Elspeth Garnett d. 1966
  • Frances Garnett d. 1934
  • Susan Garnett d. 1883
  • Fanny Garnett d. 1930
  • Cecil Garnett d. 1948

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Garnett,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States983 records

983 records of the Garnett name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 364
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 179
  • Other U.S. records 440
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Henry D. Garnett

    Born 1915 in Virginia. Enlisted 1942 at Richmond; office clerk from Elizabeth City. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2000, buried at Grace Epis Ch Cemetery, Keswick, Virginia.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Thomas Garnett

    Arrived at New York in 1857 aboard the Lady Russell from Tralee, aged 15; laborer. From Kerry, Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Charles J. Garnett

    Born 1931; from Bourbon County, Kentucky. U.S. Army, light weapons infantry leader; killed in action 1953 in North Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 983 records for Garnett in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia344 records

344 records of the Garnett name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 199
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 49
  • Other Australian records 96
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Ann Garnett

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Sovereign, sailing from London in 1827. Native of Cork.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Frank Garnett

    Arrived in Victoria in 1889 aboard the Halewood, aged 25; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Edith Garnett

    Trained nurse of Wangaratta, Victoria; died 1914.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 344 records for Garnett in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada99 records

99 records of the Garnett name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 41
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 23
  • Other Canadian records 35
  1. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Charles Garnett

    Served in the No. 2 Construction Battalion in the First World War, private; of Jamaica, British West Indies.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Chas Garnett

    Came to Ontario in 1871 aboard the Java, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Albert R. Garnett

    Buried in 1983 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 84.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.

Showing 3 of 99 records for Garnett in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom26 records

26 records of the Garnett name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 24
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Catherine Elizabeth Manifold Garnett

    Will proved in 1938; of Conway, Carnarvon.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thomas Garnett

    Buried in 1802 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record E. Garnett

    Gunner, Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 26 records for Garnett in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand22 records

22 records of the Garnett name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 21
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Doris Ellen Garnett

    Died 1924, aged 42; buried at Addington Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William George Garnett

    Died 1943; buried at Kaiapoi Public Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Nelson Garnett

    Died 1983, aged 77; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 22 records for Garnett in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France5 records

5 records of the Garnett name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Edouard Arthur Garnett

    Born 1920 in Heuzecourt; died 1973 in Prouville (Somme).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Kathleen Garnett

    Born 1948 in Great Britain; died 2001 in Grignols (Dordogne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Liliane Suzette Garnett

    Born 1931 in Bernaville; died 1973 in Amiens (Somme).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Garnett in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Garnett.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Garnett is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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