Garfield

An uncommon Old English pick — distinctive and rare.

Boy's nameOld EnglishNot ranked recently Also a pet name
Rare name

Meaning & Origin

An English surname, thought to be habitational.

Garfield is a boy's baby name of Old English origin, derived from a surname meaning 'field near a triangular piece of land' or 'open land by a promontory,' from the Old English gara (triangular land) and feld (open land). It became a given name in honor of President James Garfield.

James A. Garfield, the 20th U.S. President assassinated in 1881, inspired its use as a given name. Today, the name is inseparably linked to Jim Davis's famously grumpy, lasagna-loving orange tabby cat — one of the most recognized comic strip characters in history.

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Popularity Over Time

Garfield has 135+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1880.

0377411014718801900192019401960198020002021

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Garfield
DecadeBirthsTrend
2020s5
2010s29
2000s102
1990s163
1980s159
1970s218
1960s333
1950s509
1940s616
1930s611
1920s932
1910s819
1900s287
1890s203
1880s575

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(135 years, 18802021)
Year-by-year popularity data for the name Garfield
YearBirthsRank
20215#12752
20198#9161
20158#9019
20138#9066
20105#12900
200911#7368
200810#7879
20077#10130
20065#12669
200511#6786
200411#6689
200313#5656
200211#6227
200111#6163
200012#5687
199914#4853
199813#4968
199714#4525
199611#5306
199512#4897

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Garfield has two lives

Garfield, the baby name
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5,561 babies
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Garfield, the pet name
#9624pet name
6 pets
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Last updated May 2026 · Data: U.S. Social Security Administration (18802021) · Methodology