Gardner (surname)
Gardner is a surname of English, Scottish or Irish origin.[1] Some sources say it is an occupational surname that comes from the word "gardener".[2] Other sources claim that it is derived from the Saxon words gar, meaning "a weapon", and dyn meaning "sound or alarm", combined with the termination er gives the name "Gair-den-er", which means "a warrior", "one who bears arms".[3] Early variants included Gardyner, Gardener, Gardenar, Gardinier, Gardiner, and Gardner; the last two are the most common today.[4]
There is a tradition[5] held by some of the descendants of William Gardiner (son of Benoni), son of George of Newport, that William won his crest at Acre in 1191, by chopping through the shoulder of a Saracen who was about to kill Richard Coeur de Lion or Richard the Lionheart, hence the Saracen's head on the coat of arms.
As a surname, Gardner is the 132nd most common surname in Great Britain, It is most common in Lancashire, and Greater London, where it is the 84th and 144th most common surname, in both counties having 4,911 bearers, respectively. Other concentrations include, Shetland Islands, (11th,1,741), Nottinghamshire, (24th,4,827), South Ayrshire, (49th,1,667), North Lanarkshire, (88th,1,675), Derbyshire, (254th,1,727), West Sussex, (273rd,1,621), Cambridgeshire, (349th,1,689), Lincolnshire, (369th,1,729), Greater Manchester, (426th,1,691), Hertfordshire, (449th,1,643), and, Essex (821st,1,621).
It may refer to:
A
- Adam Gardner, American musician
- Alexander Gardner (soldier) (1785–1877), American or Irish mercenary
- Alexander Gardner (photographer) (1821–1882), American photographer
- Andrew Gardner (disambiguation)
- Andrew Gardner (newsreader) (1932–1999), British television newsreader
- Andrew Gardner (American football) (born 1986), American football player
- Andy Gardner (footballer, born 1877), Scottish football forward active in the 1900s
- Andy Gardner (footballer, born 1888), Scottish football centre half active in the 1910s
- Anna Gardner (1816–1901), American abolitionist, poet, teacher
- Anthony Gardner (born 1980), English footballer
- Antony Gardner (born 1927), British Labour Party MP
- Archibald Gardner (1814–1902), pioneer of the American West, businessman, and millwright
- Arthur Gardner (diplomat) (1889–1967), U.S. foreign diplomat
- Arthur Gardner (producer) (born 1910), American film producer
- Arthur Duncan Gardner (1884–1977), British scientist
- Augustus Peabody Gardner (1865–1918), Representative from Massachusetts and son-in-law of Henry Cabot Lodge
- Ava Gardner (1922–1990), American actress
B
- Berta Gardner (born 1954), member of the Alaska House of Representatives
- Bertie Charles Gardner (1884–1973) President of the Bank of Montreal, Chancellor at McGill University
- Bill Gardner (politician) (born 1948), Secretary of State of New Hampshire
- Billy Gardner (born 1927), American Major League baseball player and coach
- Bob Gardner, American politician
- Booth Gardner (1936–2013), Governor of Washington
- Brett Gardner (born 1983), American baseball player
- Brian Gardner, mastering engineer
- Bunk Gardner, American rock saxophonist
- Burgess Gardner (born 1936), American jazz composer, performer & artist
- Burleigh B. Gardner (1902–1985), American anthropologists
C
- Catherine Gardner (born 1982), American actress
- Carl Gardner (born 1928), American singer
- Christine Gardner (21st century), American professor
- Craig Shaw Gardner (born 1949), American author
- Charles Austin Gardner (1896–1970), Western Australian botanist
- Chris Gardner (born 1954), American businessman
- Colin Gardner MBE (c. 1940–2010), English football official and philanthropist
D
- Dale Gardner (1948–2014), American astronaut
- Daniel Gardner (1750–1805), British painter
- Daniel Gardner (musician) (born 1980), Canadian electronic musician
- Daniel Gardner (cyclist) (born 1996), British cyclist
- David Gardner (disambiguation)
- David Gardner (cricketer) (born 1940), English cricketer
- David Gardner (fiddler) (born 1968), Scottish fiddle performer, teacher, and judge
- David Gardner (The Motley Fool), co-founder of The Motley Fool, established in 1993
- David P. Gardner (born 1933), president of the University of California and also president of the University of Utah
- Dave Gardner (ice hockey) (born 1952), retired Canadian ice hockey centre
- Dave Gardner (basketball) (born 1964), British basketball player
- Brother Dave Gardner (1926–1983), American comedian and singer
- Derrick Gardner (born 1965), American jazz trumpeter
- Derrick Gardner (American football) (born 1977), American football player
- Don Gardner (1931–2018), American R&B singer-songwriter, drummer
- Donald Stanley Gardner, American engineer
- Donald Yetter Gardner (1913–2004), American songwriter
- Dylan Gardner, Australian soccer football player for Socceroos
E
- Edith Jordan Gardner (1877–1965), American educator
- Edward Gardner (disambiguation)
- Edward Joseph Gardner (1898–1950), American politician
- Ed Gardner (1901–1963), American actor, director & writer
- Edward W. Gardner (1867–1932), American balkline and straight rail billiards champion
- Edward Gardner (MP) (1912–2001), British politician
- Edward Gardner (conductor) (born 1974), British conductor
- Ted Gardner (fl. 1990s), business manager
- Edwin M. Gardner (1845–1935), American painter.
- Eliza Ann Gardner (1831–1922), abolitionist and religious leader
- Elizabeth Jane Gardner (1837–1922), American painter
- English Gardner (born 1992), American track and field sprinter who specializes in the 100-meter dash.
- Erle Stanley Gardner (1889–1970), American author
- Ernest Arthur Gardner (1862–1939), English archaeologist
F
- Jelly Gardner Floyd Gardner (1895–1977), baseball player
- Floyd M. Gardner, author of Phaselock Techniques
- Frances Gardner (1913–1989), English cardiologist
- Frank Gardner (driver) (born 1942), Australian racing driver
- Frank Gardner (journalist) (born 1961), British television journalist
- Fred Gardner (activist), American activist
- Fred Gardner (cricketer) (1922–1979), English cricketer
- Frederick D. Gardner (1869–1933), Governor of Missouri
- Freddy Gardner (1910–1950), British jazz and dance band musician
G
- Gavin F. Gardner (1848–1919), a founder of the Adelaide Stock Exchange
- George Gardiner (settler) (c 1610) of Rhode Island
- Geoffrey Robert Gardner (born 1960), an Australian politician
- George Gardner (disambiguation), several people
- George Gardner (coach), American football and basketball coach
- George Gardner (botanist) (1810–1849), Scottish naturalist
- George Gardner (ice hockey) (1942–2006), Canadian goaltender
- George Washington Gardner (1778–1838), whaleship captain, member of the Gardner whaling family
- George Gardiner (boxer) (1877–1954), American boxer, also known as "George Gardner"
- George Gardner (priest), English Anglican priest
- George Gardiner (settler) (c. 1610–1677), a founding settler of Newport, Rhode Island, also known as "George Gardner"
- Georgie Gardner (born 1965), an Australian newsreader
- Gerald Gardner (Wiccan) (1884–1964), an English occultist and founding father of Wicca
- Gerald Gardner (scriptwriter) (born 1929), a television screenwriter
- Guy Gardner (astronaut) (born 1948), an American astronaut
H
- Harold Gardner (1898–2006), American World War I veteran
- Harry Gardner (cricketer) (1890–1939), English cricketer and British Army officer
- Heather B. (Gardner), American hip-hop artiste
- Heidi Gardner (born 1983), American actress and comedian
- Helen Gardner (critic) (1909–1986), English literary critic
- Helen Gardner (art historian) (1878–1946), American art historian
- Helen Gardner (actress) (1884–1968), American film actress
- Henry J. Gardner (1819–1892), Governor of Massachusetts (1855–58)
- Herb Gardner (1934–2003), American cartoonist, playwright and screenwriter
- Hiram Gardner (1800–1874), NY lawyer and politician
- Howard Gardner (born 1943), American psychologist
- Hy Gardner (1908–1989), American columnist and television presenter
I
- Ian Gardner, Canadian boxer
- Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840–1924), American art collector
J
- Jack Gardner (disambiguation), various persons
- Jack Gardner (basketball) (1910–2000), college basketball coach
- Jack Gardner (boxer), (1926–1978), British heavyweight boxer
- Jack Gardner (general), general in the United States Army
- Jack Gardner (musician) (1903–1957), American jazz musician
- James Alan Gardner (born 1955), Canadian science fiction author
- James Alton Gardner (1943–1966) Medal of Honor awardee, Vietnam War
- James Knoll Gardner (1940–2017), American judge
- Jane Gardner (1951–2020), American journalist and news presenter
- Jane F. Gardner (born 1934), British academic
- Jessica Gardner (born 1971), British librarian
- Jimmy Gardner (disambiguation)
- Jimmy Gardner (ice hockey) (1881–1940), Canadian professional ice hockey forward
- Jimmy Gardner (boxer) (1885–1964), Irish-American boxer
- Jimmy Gardner (actor) (1924–2010)
- Joe C. Gardner (1944–2013), American politician
- John Gardner (disambiguation)
- John Gardner (American writer) (1933–1982), American novelist and educator, author of Grendel
- John Gardner, Anglo-Indian actor
- John Gardner (Australian politician), Australian Liberal Party MP for the South Australian seat of Morialta since 2010
- John Gardner (boat builder) (1905–1995), American nautical historian
- John Gardner (British writer) (1926–2007), British author of spy and mystery novels, official James Bond author
- John Gardner (composer) (1917–2011), British composer
- John Gardner (delegate), (1747–1808), U.S. farmer, Rhode Island delegate to Continental Congress
- John Gardner (law) (born 1965), Professor of Jurisprudence, University of Oxford and Fellow of University College, Oxford, and Visiting Professor, Yale Law School, Yale University
- John Gardner (minister) (1809–1899), Presbyterian minister in Australia
- John Gardner (Rhode Island governor) (1697—1764) Deputy Governor, Colony of Rhode Island
- John Gardner (Texas Ranger) ((1845—1926) US Texas Ranger, trail boss
- John Albert Gardner (born 1979), American double murderer
- John D. Gardner (general), Lieutenant General in the U.S. Army
- John Dunn Gardner (1811–1903), British Member of Parliament, 1841 to 1847
- John Fentress Gardner (1912–1998), American author and educator
- John J. Gardner (1845–1921), American politician representing New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives, 1885 to 1893
- John L. Gardner (boxer), British boxer, who beat Ossie Ocasio
- John L. Gardner (brigadier general) (1793–1869), Colonel then Brigadier General in the US Army
- John Lowell Gardner II (1837–1898), patron of the arts
- John W. Gardner (1912–2002), U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare during the Great Society, founder of Medicare and Public Broadcasting
- Joseph Gardner (disambiguation)
- Josh Gardner (soccer) (born 1982), American soccer player
- Josh Gardner (comedian) (born 1971), American comedian and writer
- Joshua Gardner (sea captain), British sea captain
- Julian Gardner (poker player) (born 1978), English poker player
- Julie Gardner (born 1969), Welsh television producer
K
- Katy Gardner, British novelist
- Kay Gardner (composer) (1942–2002), musician and composer
L
- Larry Gardner (1886–1976), American Major League baseball player
- Lauren Gardner (scientist), American epidemiologist
- Laurence Gardner, British writer
- Lawrence Gardner (?–1850) British engineer and founder of L Gardner and Sons Ltd, now Gardner Marine Diesels
- Lee Gardner, American baseball player
- Lee Gardner (footballer), Scottish footballer
- Leonard Gardner (born 1934), American writer
- Lige Gardner, American gunfighter
- Lisa Gardner, American author
- Lloyd Gardner, American diplomatic historian
M
- Mark Gardner (inventor) (born 1955), American inventor
- Mark Gardner (baseball player) (born 1962), American baseball player
- Mark Gardner (Australian rules footballer) (1884–?), Australian rules footballer
- Martha M. Gardner, American statistician
- Martin Gardner (1914–2010), American mathematics and science writer and magician
- Matilda Hall Gardner (1871–1954), American suffragist
- Maureen Gardner (1926–1974), British sprint hurdler
- Meredith Gardner (1912–2002), American linguist and cryptographer
- Mills Gardner (1830–1910), American attorney and politician
N
- Nathaniel Lyon Gardner (1864–1937), American botanist
O
- Obadiah Gardner (1852–1938), American politician
- Oliver Max Gardner (1882–1947), Governor of North Carolina
P
- Paul Gardner (footballer) (born 1957), English footballer
- Percy Gardner (1846–1937), English classical archaeologist
- Philip John Gardner (1914–2003), English recipient of the Victoria Cross
R
- Randy Gardner (record holder) (born 1947), sleeplessness record holder
- Randy Gardner (figure skater) (born 1958), American figure skater
- Ricardo Gardner (born 1978), Jamaican footballer
- Rich Gardner (born 1981), American football player
- Richard Gardner (disambiguation)
- Rob Gardner (musician), American rock drummer
- Rob Gardner (baseball) (born 1944), baseball player
- Robert Gardner (anthropologist) (born 1925), film director
- Robert Gardner (footballer) (died 1887), Scottish footballer
- Rod Gardner (born 1977), American football player
- Ross Gardner (born 1985), English footballer
- Roy Gardner (bank robber) (1884–1940), American outlaw
- Sir Roy Gardner (businessman) (born 1945), Chairman of Manchester United
- Rulon Gardner (born 1971), American Greco-Roman wrestler
S
- Sam Gardner (soccer) (born 1997), Canadian soccer player
- Scott Gardner, Australian writer
- Sheldon Gardner (1934–2005), American psychologist
- Stu Gardner, American musician and composer
- Sue Gardner (born 1967), Executive Director of the Wikimedia Foundation
- Sydney Gardner (1884–1965), Australian politician
T
- Teddy Gardner (1922–1977), English boxer of the 1930s, '40s and '50s
- Thomas Gardner (disambiguation)
- Thomas Gardner (1724–1775), American political figure and soldier
- Thomas Gardner (planter) (1592–1674), American colonist
- Thomas Gardner (basketball) (born 1985), American basketball player
- Tommy Gardner (1910–1970), English footballer
- Tom Gardner (born 1968), American financier
- Tony Gardner (born 1964), English actor
- Tony Gardner (designer) (born 1965), American makeup and special effects designer
V
- Virginia Gardner (born 1995), American actress
W
- Walter Everson Gardner (1873–1943), mine manager in Broken Hill, New South Wales
- Wayne Gardner (born 1959), Australian racing motorcyclist
- Wes Gardner (born 1961), American Major League baseball player
- William Gardner (disambiguation) many people, including
- William Gardner (Australian settler), (1802–1860) Australian colonial settler
- William Gardner (Victoria Cross recipient) (1821–1897), Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross
- William Biscombe Gardner (1847–1919), English painter and engraver
- William E. Gardner Jr. (1939–1991) president of Savannah State College 1989–1991
Fictional characters
- Admiral Gardner, head of Starfleet in Star Trek: Enterprise
- Amy Gardner, a character in The West Wing
- Chauncey Gardner, Peter Sellers' character in Being There
- Guy Gardner (comics), a DC Comics superhero
- Sam Gardner and his descendants, the Gardner family in The Lord of the Rings
- Téa Gardner, English name of Anzu Mazaki, a Yu-Gi-Oh! anime character
References
- "Gardner Name Meaning & Gardner Family History at Ancestry.com". ancestry.com. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
- "Baby Name Gardner - Origin and Meaning of Gardner". thinkbabynames.com. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
- "GARDINER-GARDNER FAMILY HISTORY". familysearch.org. 31 July 2013. Retrieved 2016-01-23.
- Origin of the Gardner Surname Archived 2007-11-18 at the Wayback Machine
- "GARDINER-GARDNER FAMILY HISTORY".