Total births
2,279
Boys' name · since 1881
Garner
2,279 babies named Garner in U.S. Social Security records since 1881, with the highest year being 1932. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #5248
- among boys today
- 2,279
- born since 1881
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 63%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Garner is the #5248 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 2,279 recorded since 1881.
Garner has 2,279 recorded births among boys since 1881, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #5248 as of the latest data, more common than 63% of boys, busiest in the 1930s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1881 to 2025.
- #5248 among boys today
- 2,279 born since 1881
- 1930s peak decade
- 63% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Garner is currently the #5248 boys' name in America, more common than 63% of boys - 2,279 born since 1881, peaking in the 1930s.
- #5248
- among boys today
- 2,279
- born since 1881
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 63%
- more common than other boys
Garner vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5248
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 63% of names given to boys today.
1930s
Peak decade
14% of everyone ever named Garner was born in this single decade.
1932
Single peak year
82 babies were named Garner in 1932 - its busiest year on record.
How Garner compares
2,279 Top 20% higher than 80% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Garner's all-time total is 6x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Garner | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,279 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 82 | 23 | 22,252 |
Garner's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Garner splits its recorded history at 1964: 45% of all births land in the more recent half, 55% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1881 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1932 peak of 82 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Garner at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1932
Current rank
#5,248
Active since
1881
Garner popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1881–2025
- Peak year (1932)
- 82
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Garner popularity over time - girls
59 total births recorded since 2010 (Garner as girls' name)
Garner by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1930s was Garner's strongest decade.
320 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 14% of all-time use.
Garner births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 12
1880s
12 births
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1900s 32
1900s
32 births
- 1910s
1910s
212 births
- 1920s
1920s
256 births
- 1930s
1930s
320 births
- 1940s
1940s
167 births
- 1950s
1950s
160 births
- 1960s
1960s
199 births
- 1970s
1970s
138 births
- 1980s 88
1980s
88 births
- 1990s
1990s
132 births
- 2000s
2000s
218 births
- 2010s
2010s
224 births
- 2020s 116
2020s
116 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 320 births (14% of all-time use).
How Garner compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Garner's total volume
Garner vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Garner by state
Where Garner concentrates geographically, total births since 1881
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 93 | 4.1% |
| #2 | Tennessee | | 47 | 2.1% |
| #3 | Kentucky | | 29 | 1.3% |
| #4 | Oklahoma | | 10 | 0.4% |
| #5 | Mississippi | | 6 | 0.3% |
| #6 | Virginia | | 6 | 0.3% |
Texas share of Garner's total US births 4.1%
Even split
93 of 2,279 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Garner? ▼
Garner has been given to 2,279 babies in the U.S. since 1881, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #5248 as of the latest data. 82 babies were born in 1932, its single highest year.
When was Garner most popular? ▼
Garner was most popular in the 1930s decade with 320 total births. The single peak year was 1932.
Where is Garner most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Garner are Texas (93 births), Tennessee (47 births), Kentucky (29 births).
How long has the name Garner been used? ▼
Records for Garner go back to 1881, giving 145 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Garner? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Gary, Garrett, Garry, Garland, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Garner's data
- Garner's usage has stayed within range of its 1930s decade-level peak (320 total births) through the 2020s (116) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Garners (93 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Garner
Nearby Names Like Garner
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Garner
Gary Boy
#1133 902,152 births
Garrett Boy
#560 135,762 births
Garry Boy
#5071 47,670 births
Garland Boy
#5659 23,857 births
Garret Boy
#6480 13,247 births
Compare Garner side by side: Garner vs Gary Garner vs Garrett Garner vs Garry
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Garner
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1881–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Garner: #5248 Boys' Name - 2,279 Births, Peak 1932." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/garner. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Garner draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.