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Home › Baby Names Directory › Garrison

Garrison

♂ Boy

Pronounced GA-rih-suhn /ˈgæ.rɪ.sən/Medium

Meaning: GarrisonMedium

In 30 seconds: Garrison is an English surname-turned-given-name connected to the idea of a garrison, a body of troops stationed in a place.
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Origin MediumEnglish, Soviet
MeaningGarrison
U.S. rank (2025)#1757 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births92 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1999
Total births (all-time)≈ 8,507

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 199919122025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

The name carries the sense of a garrison, the kind of fortified or military posting that gave rise to English surnames. Used as a first name, it has a sturdy, settled sound. The spellings Garrisson, Garison, and Garisson are minor variations of the same name.

It gained literary warmth through Garrison Keillor (born 1942), the American author and radio host behind 'A Prairie Home Companion'. The strong '-son' ending links it to a wide family of English surname names.

Did you know? Garrison likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.
Overall data confidence 70%
Behind the Name - Garrison — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

GarrissonGarisonGarisson

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Garrison Keillor (b. 1942)
    American author and radio personality best known for hosting the public radio show A Prairie Home Companion.

If you like Garrison…

Garrett— Another 'Gar-' surname name with the same sturdy, masculine feel.
Harrison— Shares the '-rison' ending and surname-as-first-name pattern.
Jonathon— shares the -on ending
Everson— another English name
Addison— shares the -on ending

Explore names like Garrison

By themeenglishsurname-style

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Garrison mean?

Garrison is usually explained as meaning 'Garrison' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Garrison?

It's commonly said GA-rih-suhn /ˈgər.i.sn/.

Is Garrison a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Garrison is used as a boy name.

How popular is Garrison?

In 2024, Garrison ranked #1790 in the U.S. for boys, with 91 births recorded.

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