Given name & surname
Garrison
“from the spear-fortified town”
Garrison is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the spear-fortified town.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the spear-fortified town.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
It entered given-name use through an existing surname.
The story
Its naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Garrison through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 8,514
- 8,509 boys · 5 girls
- Most popular year
- 1999
- 353 babies
- 2025
- 92
- #1,757 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −28%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 92 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,757 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 28.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 353 in 1999. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (12). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 7,072 as a first name in 2020; 48,292 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Garrison’s family of names
In English usage, Garrison as a surname has a “son of” formation linked to Garrett. Garrison has a related form in Garris. Garrison has a related form in Garison.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 14
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Garrison
- Garrison KeillorAmerican author, storyteller, humorist, voice actor, and radio personalityborn 1942
- Garrison MathewsAmerican basketball player (born 1996)
- Garrison StarrAmerican musicianborn 1975
- Garrison H. DavidsonUnited States Army officer, American football player and coach (1904-1992)
- Garrison BrooksAmerican basketball player (born 1999)
- Garrison HearstAmerican football player (born 1971)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Garrison, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Dalton
“from the town in the valley”
99% boys · 1% girls
Quinton
“from the queen's town or settlement”
>99% boys
Dawson
“the son of David”
96% boys · 4% girls
Devon
“from the beautiful farmland; of the divine”
86% boys · 14% girls
Talon
“resembling a claw” · “resembling a bird's claw”
96% boys · 4% girls
Ashton
“from the ash-tree town”
95% boys · 5% girls
Clayton
“from the town settled on clay”
>99% boys
Sheldon
“from the steep valley”
>99% boys