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At a Glance: Name: Garth – Meaning: either a Welsh short form of Gareth ('gentle'), or from the Old Norse/English word for an enclosed yard or garden – Origin: Welsh or Old Norse/English (dual origin) – Gender: primarily used for boys – Pronunciation: GARTH
Garth carries two separate origin stories: it's either a Welsh short form of Gareth, meaning 'gentle,' or it comes from the Old Norse/English word for an enclosed yard or garden. You might come across the claim that Garth means 'keeper of the garden' — that only reflects the yard/garden root and misses the unrelated Welsh 'gentle' derivation that's also documented. So the name holds two distinct meanings depending on which root you're drawing from.
Meaning & Origin of Garth
Meaning: Either a Welsh short form of Gareth ('gentle'), or from the Old Norse/English word for an enclosed yard or garden.
Origin: Welsh or Old Norse/English (dual origin).
A common claim: Garth means 'keeper of the garden' Actually: That reflects only the Old Norse/English "yard" or "garden" origin. Wiktionary also documents Garth as a short form of the Welsh name Gareth, meaning "gentle" — a separate, unrelated derivation.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Garth
Phonetic: GARTH IPA: /ɡɑːrθ/
Popularity of Garth
Garth peaked at #444 in 1954, when 268 babies were given the name, but by 2024 it had dropped to #5283 with just 18 babies named Garth.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1906–2024.
Make Garth Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Garth, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Garth mean?
Either a Welsh short form of Gareth (‘gentle’), or from the Old Norse/English word for an enclosed yard or garden. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Garth)
How do you pronounce Garth?
Garth is pronounced GARTH (IPA: /ɡɑːrθ/).
Is Garth a popular name right now?
Garth peaked at #444 in 1954 and is ranked #5283 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1906–2024.)
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