Explore the Family Name Garbo

The meaning of Garbo

Italian: 1. apparently a nickname from Italian garbo ‘polite, kind’, also ‘kindness, graciousness’; or alternatively from the same word in Venetian dialect meaning ‘curt, abrupt’. 2. Sicilian variant of Galbo. History: The medieval Florentine doctors Dino and Tommaso del Garbo took their surname from the via del Garbo in Florence. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Carmelo, Ennio, Nunzio, Palma, Salvatore.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Garbo in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Garbo' has slightly declined between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 42,134th most popular, but slipped to 43,285th by 2010, a 2.73% decrease. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with this surname increased from 485 to 499, a 2.89% rise. However, when measured as a proportion per 100,000 people, it dipped slightly from 0.18 to 0.17, a 5.56% decrease.

20002010Change
Rank#42,134#43,285-2.73%
Count4854992.89%
Proportion per 100k0.180.17-5.56%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Garbo

Looking at the ethnicity of those bearing the Garbo surname, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, there were notable changes in the ethnic identity of people with this surname between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Garbos identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander more than doubled, increasing from 2.06% to 5.21%. Additionally, Hispanic representation also grew, rising from 4.12% to 5.21%. On the other hand, the largest group, Whites, saw a slight decrease from 89.07% to 82.97%. Moreover, people identifying as Black appeared in the 2010 census after not being represented in 2000, while the percentage of Garbos identifying as two or more races dropped to zero. There were no individuals who identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.

20002010Change
White89.07%82.97%-6.85%
Asian/Pacific Islander2.06%5.21%152.91%
Hispanic4.12%5.21%26.46%
Black0%4.61%0%
Two or More Races2.47%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%