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Garfield Family History

Garfield Name Meaning

English (Midlands): topographic name from Middle English gor(e) gar(e) ‘triangular piece’ + feld ‘open country field’ (Old English gār + feld) for someone who lived by a triangular piece of land. English: alternatively sometimes perhaps a variant of Carville (a name of Norman origin) with excrescent final -d. Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Jewish surnames.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Barfield, Warfield, Hartfield, Hairfield, Banfield, Padfield

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Garfield family from?

You can see how Garfield families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Garfield family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Garfield families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 40 Garfield families living in Massachusetts. This was about 33% of all the recorded Garfield's in USA. Massachusetts had the highest population of Garfield families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Garfield surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Garfield ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Garfield. 19% of Garfield men worked as a Laborer and 10% of Garfield women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Garfield were Manager and Maid. .

View Census Data for Garfield | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    19%
  • Salesman
    9%
  • Farmer
    9%
  • Manager
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    10%
  • Housework
    8%
  • Clerk
    8%
  • Maid
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Garfield family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 36,000 census records available for the last name Garfield. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Garfield census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Garfield

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Garfield. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Garfield immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Garfield. For the veterans among your Garfield ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Garfield military records

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What is the average Garfield lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Garfield life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Garfield in 1941 was 45, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Garfield

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