Show ContentsGarth History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Garth family

The surname Garth was first found in Yorkshire where John, Mariota del Garth was listed there in 1297 and again in the Subsidy Rolls of Cumberland in 1332. The name is derived from the Middle English "garth" and literally means "One in charge of enclosed ground, a garden or paddock." [1]

"In Yorkshire Garth has occasionally become Gath." [2] The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Beatrice del Garthe in Howdenshire and Willelmus del Garth.

Gyrth (d. 1066), was Earl of East Anglia, fourth son of Earl Godwine. He "shared his father's banishment in 1052, and took refuge with him in Flanders. He also shared the restoration of his father and brothers in the following year. In 1057 he succeeded Ælfgar in the earldom of East Anglia, having perhaps received 'some smaller government at an earlier time' It seems that when he was appointed over the whole or part of East Anglia the king told him that he would give him something more (Vita Eadwardi, p. 410), and he did at some later time receive the earldom of Oxfordshire also." [3]

Early History of the Garth family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Garth research. Another 146 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1096, 1455, 1487, 1510, 1600, 1661, 1676, 1679, 1684, 1687, 1691, 1693 and 1719 are included under the topic Early Garth History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Garth Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Garth family name include Garth, Garthe, Girth, Gyrth, Gyrthe, Gart, Gartt and others.

Early Notables of the Garth family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Sir Samuel Garth FRS (1661-1719), an English physician and poet...
  • He was the "eldest son of William Garth of Bowland Forest in the West Riding of Yorkshire, was born in 1661, and sent to school at Ingleton, at the foot of Ingleborough...

Garth Ranking

In the United States, the name Garth is the 6,547th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [4]


United States Garth migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Garth surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Garth Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • George Garth, who arrived in Virginia in 1664 [5]
Garth Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Hans Geo Garth, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 [5]
  • Hans Jurg Garth, aged 43, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 [5]
  • John Garth, aged 39, who landed in Virginia in 1773 [5]
Garth Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Susanna Margaretha Garth, who landed in America in 1836 [5]
  • Anthony Garth, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1838 [5]
  • Margarethe Garth, who landed in America in 1840 [5]
  • William Garth, who arrived in Kentucky in 1850 [5]
  • Karolina Garth, who arrived in America in 1853 [5]

Canada Garth migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Garth Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Michael Garth, who arrived in Quebec in 1850

Australia Garth migration to Australia +

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

Garth Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Prudence Garth, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "John Renwick" in 1837 [6]
  • Mr. John Garth, English convict who was convicted in Norwich, Norfolk, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Duncan" on 10th December 1840, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [7]
  • William Garth, aged 37, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Dirigo" [8]

Contemporary Notables of the name Garth (post 1700) +

  • Leonard I. Garth (1921-2016), American jurist, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (1973-1986)
  • George Garth (1733-1819), British General, Commander in the American Revolutionary War, Colonel of the 17th Regiment of Foot, Lieutenant Governor of Placentia, Newfoundland
  • Jennifer Eve "Jennie" Garth (b. 1972), American actress
  • John Garth (1721-1810), English composer of Durham who began his great work, the adaptation of the ‘First Fifty Psalms of Marcello’ to the English version, in 1757 [9]
  • Charles Garth MP (1734-1784), MP for Devizes, British colonial agent, South Carolina
  • Charles Garth (1734-1784), British Government Agent for South Carolina, Georgia and Maryland
  • John Garth (1701-1764), British politician, Member of Parliament for Devizes (1740–1764)
  • Sir Richard Garth PC, QC (1820-1903), Chief Justice of Bengal and Privy Counselor
  • General Thomas Garth (1744-1829), British Army officer and chief equerry to King George III
  • Sir William Garth Morrison KT, CBE, DL (1943-2013), British Chief Scout of the United Kingdom and Overseas Territories from 1988 to 1996


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. 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)
  6. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) JOHN RENWICK 1837. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1837JohnRenwick.htm
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duncan
  8. South Australian Register Thursday 23rd November 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Dirigo 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/dirigo1854.shtml
  9. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020


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