Gardner is of English origin, derived from the Middle English 'Gardiner', which was an occupational surname for a gardener. It is composed of the elements 'gard' meaning garden and 'ere' signifying keeper or guardian. The name gained popularity during the Victorian era due to its association with Charles Dickens' character, Jacob Gardner, in his novel 'Bleak House'. Today, Gardner remains a popular choice as both a first name and surname.
The name Gardner experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over the past century and a half, with a peak in the early 20th century and a marked decline since the mid-20th century. Between 1880 and 1913, there were periods of high birth numbers, reaching as many as 65 births in a single year (1915). However, from the late 1940s onwards, the number of Gardner births began to steadily decrease, dropping below 20 births per year since the early 1970s. Despite this decline, there have been recent resurgences in popularity, with years like 2017 and 2023 seeing around 15-17 births each. Overall, from 1880 to 2023, a total of 2975 babies named Gardner were born.