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Gardner Family History

Gardner Surname Meaning

English and Scottish: occupational name from Middle English gardener ‘gardener’ Old French gardinier jardinier.

Americanized form (translation into English) of German Gärtner or Gartner and French Desjardins.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Gardner family from?

You can see how Gardner families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gardner family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gardner families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 622 Gardner families living in New York. This was about 23% of all the recorded Gardner's in USA. New York had the highest population of Gardner families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gardner surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Gardner ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Gardner. 15% of Gardner men worked as a Laborer and 6% of Gardner women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gardner were Truck Driver and Teacher.

View Census Data for Gardner | 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
    15%
  • Farmer
    14%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    6%
  • Maid
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Teacher
    6%

What Gardner family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Gardner. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gardner census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Gardner

Passenger Lists

There are 100,000 immigration records available for the last name Gardner. 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 Gardner immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 172,000 military records available for the last name Gardner. For the veterans among your Gardner ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gardner military records

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