Holding steady, #12,008 for boys today.
Popularity of Garfield since 1880
Babies named Garfield per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 575 |
| 1890s | 203 |
| 1900s | 287 |
| 1910s | 819 |
| 1920s | 932 |
| 1930s | 611 |
| 1940s | 616 |
| 1950s | 509 |
| 1960s | 333 |
| 1970s | 218 |
| 1980s | 159 |
| 1990s | 163 |
| 2000s | 102 |
| 2010s | 29 |
| 2020s | 10 |
Meaning & origin
Garfield is an English surname-turned-given name that peaked in popularity during the 1880s, reaching its highest rank of 12,008 in 1881. Its early usage was likely influenced by President James A. Garfield, who was assassinated in 1881. The name experienced a stable trajectory thereafter, and in 2025 it remains uncommon, with roughly 1 in 341,615 boys receiving the name. While the comic strip character Garfield has made the name widely recognized, it has not spurred a revival. The most associated states historically include Ohio, the president's home state, though recent top-state data is unavailable as the name does not appear in state-level rankings.
Garfield is a transferred use of the English surname, which itself comes from a place name. The first element is probably from Old English 'gara' meaning 'triangular piece of land' or 'gar' meaning 'spear', combined with 'feld' meaning 'field'. The name gained modest use as a given name after President James A. Garfield (1831-1881), but its greatest boost came from the comic strip cat Garfield, created by Jim Davis in 1978.
Where Garfield is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Gary, Garry, Field
Sibling names for Garfield
Names that share Garfield's style, for a brother or sister.
