Given name & surname
Garth
“the keeper of the garden”
Garth is used as a given name and a surname. One Scandinavian interpretation is “the keeper of the garden.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Scandinavian interpretation is “the keeper of the garden.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Scandinavian.
How it developed
In English usage, Garth is a short form of Gareth.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1906. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Garth through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 9,666
- 9,666 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1954
- 268 babies
- 2025
- 8
- #9,183 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +1%
- Steady
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 8 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 9,183 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 1.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 268 in 1954. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 7,806 as a first name in 2020; 2,926 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.
Garth’s family of names
In English usage, Garth is a short form of Gareth. Garth has a related form in Gart. Garth is a contracted form of Gareth.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 6
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Garth
- Garth BrooksAmerican country music singer and songwriterborn 1962
- Garth EnnisBritish comics writerborn 1970
- Garth NixAustralian fantasy writerborn 1963
- Garth MantonAustralian rower (1929–2024)
- Garth DavisAustralian film and television directorborn 1974
- Garth JenningsEnglish filmmakerborn 1972
- Garth CrooksEnglish footballer (born 1958)
- Garth SnowAmerican ice hockey goaltenderborn 1969
- Garth SteinAmerican writerborn 1964
Characters named Garth: Professor Hellingen.
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Garth, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Geir
“one who wields a spear”
>99% boys
Artis
“lofty hill; noble” · “rock”
94% boys · 6% girls
Bern
“resembling a bear”
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Rolf
“a famous wolf”
>99% boys
Dag
“born during the daylight” · “day”
>99% boys
Ingo
“a lord” · “from the meadow”
>99% boys
Tor
“one who is peaceful”
>99% boys
Von
“filled with hope”
99% boys · 1% girls