Explore the Family Name Garrison
The meaning of Garrison
1. English: from a shortened form of Middle English Gerardson, a patronymic from the personal name Gerard + son, or an Anglicized form of its Dutch cognate Gerritsen. The English surname is probably in most cases of Flemish or Dutch origin. It was brought to Britain by immigrants from the Low Countries, especially in the 15th and 16th centuries. 2. Americanized form of Dutch Gerritsen. 3. Americanized form of Jewish Gerson (see Gershon). History: William Lloyd Garrison (1805–79), journalist, abolitionist, and early feminist, was a descendant (via parents who came from New Brunswick, Canada) of Jacob Gerritsen (1646–1718), who came to New Amsterdam in New Netherland (now New York City, NY) in 1657 from the Netherlands.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Garrison in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Garrison has seen some changes over a decade. In 2000, Garrison was ranked 611th most popular surname but slipped to the 677th position in 2010, showing a decrease of 10.8% in its rank. Despite the drop in ranking, the count of people with the Garrison surname increased by 0.4% from 50,482 in 2000 to 50,686 in 2010. Consequently, the proportion per 100,000 people decreased by 8.18%, moving from 18.71 in 2000 to 17.18 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #611 | #677 | -10.8% |
| Count | 50,482 | 50,686 | 0.4% |
| Proportion per 100k | 18.71 | 17.18 | -8.18% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Garrison
The ethnicity associated with the surname Garrison also experienced shifts between 2000 and 2010. According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the percentage of Garrisons identifying as White decreased by 2.6%, moving from 85.31% in 2000 to 83.09% in 2010. However, those identifying as Hispanic saw a substantial increase of 53.09%, moving from 1.62% to 2.48%. Black Garrisons increased slightly by 5.45%, from 10.45% to 11.02%. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native also rose by 25.00% and 15.28% respectively, while those identifying with two or more races saw an increase of 39.33%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 85.31% | 83.09% | -2.6% |
| Black | 10.45% | 11.02% | 5.45% |
| Hispanic | 1.62% | 2.48% | 53.09% |
| Two or More Races | 1.5% | 2.09% | 39.33% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.72% | 0.83% | 15.28% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.4% | 0.5% | 25% |
Garrison 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 Garrison is British & Irish, which comprises 54.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.0%) and Scandinavian (3.7%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.0% |
| French & German | 25.0% |
| Scandinavian | 3.7% |
| Other | 17.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Garrison
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 Garrison have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 88.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 88.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 88.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 87.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 87.90% |
What Garrison 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 Garrison is R-Z282, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z282 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-Z8 and I-S1954, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Shepherd, Jacobs, Sheppard, Bishop, Fry, Meyers, Gordon, Gardner, Sands, Fisher.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Garrison surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your 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 Garrison 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.
"Garrison" Surname 37.4%
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.
"Garrison" Surname 24.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Garrison" 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.
"Garrison" Surname 17.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Garrison?
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 Garrison are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition