Unisex name · since 1881
Garnett
Since 1881, U.S. Social Security records show 3,857 babies named Garnett, peaking in 1920. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2,152 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #12,033 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,857
- born since 1881
- 1920s
- peak decade
Garnett currently ranks #12033 among unisex names in America, with 3,857 babies recorded since 1881.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Garnett has been recorded 3,857 times among boys since 1881, currently ranked #12033 nationally and more common than 14% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1881 to 2025.
- #2,152 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #12,033 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 3,857 born since 1881
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Garnett ranks #2,152 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #12,033 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 3,857 born since 1881, peaking in the 1920s.
- #2,152 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #12,033 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,857
- born since 1881
- 1920s
- peak decade
Garnett's 3,857 recorded births place it above 95.26% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
11 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Virginia.
How Garnett compares
3,857 Top 15% higher than 85% of 13,930 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
Garnett's all-time total is 10x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Garnett | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,857 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 87 | 34 | 22,252 |
Garnett's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Garnett's full recorded timeline at 1950, 33% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 67% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1881, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1920 peak of 87 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Garnett popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1881–2025
- Peak year (1920)
- 87
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Garnett popularity over time - girls
2,784 total births recorded since 1889 (Garnett as girls' name)
Garnett by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (729 births, 19% of the file).
1920s was Garnett's strongest decade.
729 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Garnett births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 46
1880s
46 births
- 1890s 80
1890s
80 births
- 1900s 128
1900s
128 births
- 1910s
1910s
541 births
- 1920s
1920s
729 births
- 1930s
1930s
553 births
- 1940s
1940s
505 births
- 1950s
1950s
419 births
- 1960s 283
1960s
283 births
- 1970s 208
1970s
208 births
- 1980s 133
1980s
133 births
- 1990s 92
1990s
92 births
- 2000s 82
2000s
82 births
- 2010s 25
2010s
25 births
- 2020s 33
2020s
33 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 729 births (19% of all-time use).
How Garnett 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 Garnett's total volume
Garnett by state
Where Garnett concentrates geographically, total births since 1881
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Virginia | | 732 | 19.0% |
| #2 | Kentucky | | 572 | 14.8% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 218 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Missouri | | 35 | 0.9% |
| #5 | West Virginia | | 28 | 0.7% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 23 | 0.6% |
| #7 | Texas | | 17 | 0.4% |
| #8 | Tennessee | | 15 | 0.4% |
732 of 3,857 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 11 reporting states.
Garnett appears in 11 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Garnett? ▼
Where does Garnett sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Garnett most popular? ▼
Where is Garnett most popular? ▼
Is Garnett a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Garnett been used? ▼
What names are similar to Garnett? ▼
What to do with Garnett's data
- Garnett's decade-level peak was the 1920s (729 total births); usage has since declined to 33 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Virginia records the most Garnetts (732 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Virginia names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Garnett
Nearby Names Like Garnett
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Garnett
Compare Garnett side by side: Garnett vs Gary Garnett vs Garrett Garnett vs Garry
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Garnett
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Garnett: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1920)
Similar record span (~144 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 Garnett 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 August 2026.