This interesting name has three distinct origins. The first is from a Germanic personal name make up of the elements "war(in)", guard, and "heri" or "hari", army. The Normans introduced the name into England as "Warnier" or "Garnier". The second source is also French in origin, being either a topographical surname for "one who lived near the granary", or a metonymic occupational name for someone who was in charge of the storehouse for corn, the granary. The derivation is from the Anglo Norman French "gerner" or "gernier". The third source is a contracted variant from the English occupational surname "Gardener", although this is a late development, not appearing until 1706 - 1709. One Miller Garner (an interesting combination of names) was an early emigrant to America, being listed in the register of the parish of St. James in Barbadoes in 1679. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Geoffrey Gerner (witness), which was dated 1272, in the "Fines Court of Essex", during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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