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Garnett History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Garnett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Garnett is one of the many names that the Normans brought with them when they conquered England in 1066. Garnett is a name for a person who grew or sold pomegranates. This metonymic name, which is a type of name that refers to the principal object associated with the activity of the original bearer, is derived from the old French words pome, which meant fruit or apple, and grenate, which meant full of seeds. The name of the precious stone is derived from the same source. The name Garnett is also a metonymic occupational name for a maker or fitter of hinges, derived from the Old French word carne, which means hinge. The name Garnett was brought to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066 and it spread into the county of Lancashire.

Early Origins of the Garnett family

The surname Garnett was first found in Lancashire at Leck, a township and chapelry, in the parish of Tunstall, union of Lancaster, hundred of Lonsdale south of the Sands. "This township belonged to the Gernets, of Halton, in the reign of John." 1

"According to Domesday Book, Skelmersdale, [Lancashire] was in 1066 held by Uctred, who also held Dalton and Uplitherland; like these it was assessed as one ploughland, and was worth the normal 32d. beyond the usual rent. Later it was part of the forest fee, held by the Gernet family. The first of them known to have held it, Vivian Gernet, gave Skelmersdale and other manors to Robert Travers; these were held in 1212 by Henry Travers under Roger Gernet." 2

Early History of the Garnett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Garnett research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1555, 1575, 1605, 1606 and 1608 are included under the topic Early Garnett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Garnett Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Garnett, Garnet, Garnette, Gernet, Gernett and others.

Early Notables of the Garnett family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir Roger Gernett of Lancashire; Henry Garnet (1555-1606), sometimes Henry Garnett, an English Jesuit priest executed for his complicity in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. He was born at Heanor, Derbyshir...
Saint Thomas Garnet (c.1575-1608), was a Jesuit priest of Saint Omer executed at Tyburn and is one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. He was son of Richard Garnett, who had been a fellow of Ba...

Garnett Ranking

In the United States, the name Garnett is the 2,988^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 3

Garnett migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Garnett or a variant listed above:

Garnett Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Garnett, aged 40, who landed in Virginia in 1610 aboard the ship "Swan" 4
Eleabeth Garnett, aged 26, who landed in Virginia in 1618 aboard the ship "Neptune" 4
William Garnett, who arrived in Virginia in 1619 4
Thomas Garnett, who landed in Virginia in 1623 4
Susan Garnett, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Garnett Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Sarah Garnett, who landed in Virginia in 1713 4
Joseph Garnett, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1742 4
William Garnett, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1745 4

Garnett Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Garnett, who arrived in New York, NY in 1817 4
Gerald Garnett, who arrived in Iowa in 1886 4

Garnett migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Garnett Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Joseph Garnett U.E. born in Massachusetts, USA who settled in St. Andrews, New Brunswick c. 1784 he became Master in Chancery in Charlotte County 5

Garnett migration to Australia +

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

Garnett Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Miss Susannah Garnett, English convict who was convicted in Essex, England for 7 years , transported aboard the "Britannia III" on 18th July 1798, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6

Garnett Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Henry Garnett, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hibernia" in 1851 7
John Garnett, aged 24, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Tantivy"

Garnett 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:

Garnett Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Florence E. Garnett, (b. 1850), aged 18, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Gainsborough" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd May 1868 8
Mr. Michael Garnett, (b. 1857), aged 20, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Marlborough" arriving in Bluff, South Island, New Zealand on 4th November 1877 8
James Garnett, aged 27, a railway guard, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arethusa" in 1879
Henrietta Garnett, aged 24, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arethusa" in 1879
Martha E. Garnett, aged 5, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Arethusa" in 1879

Contemporary Notables of the name Garnett (post 1700) +

Carlos Garnett (1938-2023), Panamanian-American jazz saxophonist, known for his work with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Charles Mingus and Miles Davis
William Garnett (1916-2006), American landscape photographer who specialized in aerial photography
Tay Garnett (1894-1977), American film director and writer
Robert S. Garnett (1819-1861), Confederate officer in American Civil War
Richard W. Garnett (b. 1968), American legal scholar
Richard B. Garnett (1817-1863), Confederate general in American Civil War, killed during Pickett's Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg
Muscoe Russell Hunter Garnett (1821-1864), American politician, U.S. Representative from Virginia
Marlon Garnett (b. 1975), American NBA basketball player
Kevin Garnett (b. 1976), American professional NBA basketball player
James M. Garnett (1770-1843), American politician, U.S. Representative from Virginia
... (Another 23 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Garnett family +

Empress of Ireland

Mrs. Mary Garnett (1873-1914), née Heward Canadian Third Class Passenger from Calgary, Alberta, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 9
Mr. William Garnett (1866-1914), Canadian Third Class Passenger from Calgary, Alberta, Canada who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 9

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. William Henry Garnett (1918-1941), Australian Acting Leading Stoker from Wentworthville, New South Wales, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 10

HMS Dorsetshire

John Edward Garnett (d. 1945), British Stoker 2nd Class aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 11

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
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
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Britannia
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HIBERNIA 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Hibernia.gif
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 16) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html