Declining since 2020, #5,861 for boys today.
Popularity of Garner since 1881
Babies named Garner per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 12 |
| 1890s | 5 |
| 1900s | 32 |
| 1910s | 212 |
| 1920s | 256 |
| 1930s | 320 |
| 1940s | 167 |
| 1950s | 160 |
| 1960s | 199 |
| 1970s | 138 |
| 1980s | 88 |
| 1990s | 132 |
| 2000s | 218 |
| 2010s | 224 |
| 2020s | 116 |
Meaning & origin
Garner is an English surname that transitioned into occasional first-name use, peaking in 1932 when it ranked higher in popularity than today. Its current rank is 5,861 (2025), reflecting a falling trajectory since 2020. About 1 in 113,872 boys were named Garner in the most recent year. While never a common given name, it has maintained a steady, if rare, presence in the United States since the 1880s. The name's occupational origins lend it a grounded, agrarian feel, fitting with similar surname-first names of the early 20th century. Garner lacks strong association with any particular U.S. state.
Garner is a surname transferred to given name use. It originates as an occupational name for someone who was a keeper of the granary, or a derivative of Old French 'gernier' meaning 'granary'. As a given name, it saw modest use in the early 20th century, although it was never common.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Gary
Sibling names for Garner
Names that share Garner's style, for a brother or sister.
