Show ContentsGarner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Garner family

The surname Garner was first found in East Prussia, where the name Garn came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as numerous branches of the same house acquired distant estates, some of which were located in other countries. Through the acquisition of these estates as well as their important contributions to society, the family successfully elevated their social status.

Early History of the Garner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Garner research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1786 is included under the topic Early Garner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Garner Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Garn, Garner, Garnerin, Garin, Garene, Karen, Gern, Geirn, Giern, Geren, Garn, Gerner, Gar, Garnen and many more.

Early Notables of the Garner family

More information is included under the topic Early Garner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Garner World Ranking

In the United States, the name Garner is the 350th most popular surname with an estimated 77,097 people with that name. 1 However, in Australia, the name Garner is ranked the 811st most popular surname with an estimated 4,839 people with that name. 2 And in the United Kingdom, the name Garner is the 447th popular surname with an estimated 14,542 people with that name. 3


United States Garner migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Garner Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Jon Garner, who arrived in Virginia in 1634 4
  • Alex. Garner, who arrived in Virginia in 1635
  • Alex Garner, who landed in Virginia in 1635 4
  • Edmund Garner, who arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1635 4
  • Edward Garner, who landed in Virginia in 1636 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Garner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Ellinor Garner, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 4
  • Philip Garner, who landed in New England in 1718 4
  • Hans Garner, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1731 4
  • Hans Geo Garner, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 4
  • Hans Jorg Garner, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1750 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Garner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James Garner, who arrived in South Carolina in 1810 4
  • William Garner, who landed in America in 1811 4
  • Thomas Garner, aged 45, who arrived in Kentucky in 1812 4
  • Daniel Garner, aged 47, who landed in New York in 1812 4
  • Arthur Garner, who arrived in Texas in 1835 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Garner migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Garner Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Robert Garner, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
  • Mr. John Garner U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 5
  • Mr. John Garner Sr., U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 5
  • Mr. William Garner U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1784 5
Garner Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Andrew Garner, who settled in Ontario in 1871

Australia Garner migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Garner Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Maria Garner, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Broxbournebury" in January 1814, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
  • Mr. John Garner, British Convict who was convicted in London, England for life, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 8th April 1821, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
  • Mr. George Godfrey Garner who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 24th March 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
  • Mr. Samuel Garner, (b. 1803), aged 38, Enlgish waterman who was convicted in Staffordshire, England for 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the "David Clarke" on 3rd June 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1849 9
  • Mr. John Garner, English convict who was convicted in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 9th May 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Garner migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Garner Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John Garner, who landed in Wanganui, New Zealand in 1840
  • John Garner, aged 36, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Oriental" in 1840
  • Mary Ann Garner, aged 29, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Oriental" in 1840
  • Mr. John Garner, (b. 1803), aged 36, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in Port Nicholson, Wellington, New Zealand on 31st January 1840 11
  • Mrs. Garner, (b. 1810), aged 29, British settler travelling from London with 3 children aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in Port Nicholson, Wellington, New Zealand on 31st January 1840 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

West Indies Garner migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 12
Garner Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Miller Garner, who settled in Barbados in 1679

Contemporary Notables of the name Garner (post 1700) +

  • Jennifer Garner (b. 1972), American Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award winning actress and film producer 13
  • James Garner (1928-2014), born James Scott Bumgarner, American film and television actor, recipient of the Screen Actors Guild's Lifetime Achievement Award (2005)
  • Julia Garner (b. 1994), American actress best known for her role as Ruth Langmore in the Netflix crime drama series Ozark. Winner of two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
  • Dwight Eugene Garner (1964-2022), American professional football player who was a running back for the California Golden Bears
  • John Garner (1952-2015), American rock drummer and vocalist for the band Sir Lord Baltimore
  • Paul "Mousie" Garner (1909-2004), American actor, referred to as "The Grand Old Man Of Vaudeville"
  • Jack Edward Garner (1926-2011), born Jack Edward Bumgarner, an American film and television actor, brother of James Garner
  • Charlie Garner III (b. 1972), former American NFL football running back
  • Peggy Ann Garner (1932-1984), American Academy Juvenile Award winning child actress
  • Kelli Brianne Garner (b. 1984), American actress
  • ... (Another 26 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Dorsetshire
  • William Douglas Garner (d. 1945), born in Mold, Flintshire, Wales, WelshLeading Seaman aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 14
HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Bernard C Garner, British Boy 1st Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 15
  • Mr. Walter Ernest Garner, British Leading Stoker, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and died in the sinking 15
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. John Ernest Garner, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking, was listed as missing in action 16


Suggested Readings for the name Garner +

  • Garner Genealogy: Record of the Descendants of Reverend James Garner II, Soldier of the American Revolution by B. Irene Garner Mooney.
  • Southern Garners: Our Branch of the Garner-Keene Family by Sam Garner.

  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  3. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  4. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  5. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/broxbournebury
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd June 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/david-clarke
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
  11. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  13. Jennifer Garner. (Retrieved 2011, January 24) Jennifer Garner. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Garner
  14. Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html
  15. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  16. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html


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