Explore the Family Name Garner
The meaning of Garner
1. English and Scottish: commonly shortened form of Gardner. 2. English: from Middle English gern(i)er, garner, gurner, Anglo-Norman French gerner ‘granary’ (Old French grenier, from Late Latin granarium, a derivative of granum ‘grain’). It was probably a metonymic occupational name for someone in charge of the stores kept in a granary. 3. English (of Norman origin): perhaps occasionally from the Old French personal name Garnier (see Garnier), but it is exeptionally rare as a personal name in medieval England and no certain evidence has been found for its use as a surname. Compare Warner. 4. South German: from an agent derivative of Middle High German garn ‘thread’; by extension, an occupational name for a fisherman.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Garner in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Garner has seen a slight shift in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Garner was ranked the 403rd most popular surname in the United States with 72,052 individuals bearing it. By 2010, its rank had dropped to 442nd even though the number of people with this surname actually increased to 74,324. This represents a change of -9.68 in rank and an increase of 3.15% in count. The proportion of Garners per 100,000 people also decreased by -5.65 over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #403 | #442 | -9.68% |
| Count | 72,052 | 74,324 | 3.15% |
| Proportion per 100k | 26.71 | 25.2 | -5.65% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Garner
In terms of ethnic identity, there were some noteworthy shifts between 2000 and 2010 for those bearing the Garner surname, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. While the majority of Garners were identified as White in both years (74.14% in 2000 and 71.71% in 2010), there was a slight decrease of -3.28 in this group. On the other hand, the percentage of Garners who identify as Hispanic saw the most significant increase, from 1.4% in 2000 to 2.34% in 2010, representing a 67.14% change. The group identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander also increased by 29.73%, while the Two or more races category grew by 39.74%. Conversely, the American Indian and Alaskan Native category experienced a decline of -8.47%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 74.14% | 71.71% | -3.28% |
| Black | 21.99% | 22.82% | 3.77% |
| Hispanic | 1.4% | 2.34% | 67.14% |
| Two or More Races | 1.51% | 2.11% | 39.74% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.59% | 0.54% | -8.47% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.37% | 0.48% | 29.73% |
Garner 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 Garner is British & Irish, which comprises 56.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.8%) and Scandinavian (3.2%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 56.0% |
| French & German | 21.8% |
| Scandinavian | 3.2% |
| Other | 19.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Garner
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 Garner have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 86.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 86.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.90% |
What Garner 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 Garner is R-Z326, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z326 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include J-M67 and R-Z278, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Tyler, Cunningham, Anthony, Ryder, Mohr, Abel, Hammond, Darnell, Blakely, Brandt.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Garner surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your 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 Garner 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.
"Garner" Surname 41.3%
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.
"Garner" Surname 25.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Garner" Surname 25.1%
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.
"Garner" Surname 18.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Garner?
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 Garner are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition