Explore the Family Name Garfield
The meaning of Garfield
1. English (Midlands): topographic name from Middle English gor(e), gar(e) ‘triangular piece’ + feld ‘open country, field’ (Old English gār + feld), for someone who lived by a triangular piece of land. 2. English: alternatively, sometimes perhaps a variant of Carville (a name of Norman origin), with excrescent final -d. 3. Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Jewish surnames. History: US President James Abram Garfield (1831–81) was preceded by at least six Garfields born in America, his immigrant ancestor having come to Massachusetts Bay with John Winthrop (see Winthrop) in 1630.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Garfield in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Garfield saw a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. It fell in rank from 7163 to 7492, demonstrating a decrease of 4.59%. However, the count of individuals bearing this surname increased by 3.51%, going from 4296 to 4447. Despite this rise in count, the proportion per 100,000 people dipped by 5.03%, moving from 1.59 to 1.51.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,163 | #7,492 | -4.59% |
| Count | 4,296 | 4,447 | 3.51% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.59 | 1.51 | -5.03% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Garfield
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Garfield showed significant variation over the same period, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. Although White remains the dominant ethnicity at 74.84% in 2010, down from 77.56% in 2000, other ethnicities are becoming more prevalent. The Hispanic population with this surname saw the most substantial increase, rising by 57.08%. The population identifying as two or more races also increased significantly, up by 23.72%. Populations of Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian and Alaskan Native also slightly increased in this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 77.56% | 74.84% | -3.51% |
| Black | 12.85% | 13.58% | 5.68% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 4.84% | 5.08% | 4.96% |
| Hispanic | 2.26% | 3.55% | 57.08% |
| Two or More Races | 1.56% | 1.93% | 23.72% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.93% | 1.01% | 8.6% |
Garfield ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Garfield is British & Irish, which comprises 39.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Ashkenazi Jewish (20.4%) and French & German (19.5%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 39.0% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 20.4% |
| French & German | 19.5% |
| Other | 21.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Garfield
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Garfield have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 64.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 64.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 64.50% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 64.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 64.50% |
What Garfield haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Garfield is R-DF88, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-DF88 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-M253 and R-M417, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Picard, Spangler, Dykes, Killian, Truitt, Gifford, Rockwell, O'Dell, Ellsworth.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Garfield surname are: H1, H, T2. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Garfield have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Garfield" Surname 50.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Garfield" Surname 42.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Garfield" Surname 12.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Garfield" Surname 15.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Garfield?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Garfield are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition