The people of Garhwal are known as Garhwalis. Very often they are called Pahari, meaning People from the mountains. Almost 90% of the Garhwalis are Hindus. Today they have migrated from the mountains to all over the world. People of almost all ethnicities can be found in the Garhwal region.^[4] Following are some of them:

1. Rajputs:: The Rajputs has been derived from the Sankrit tatpurusha " Rajaputra" meaning "son of the King". They belong to the Indian Subcontinent and are also found in the northern region of Garhwal. They are believed to be of Aryan origin. The Rajputs came from the Hindu Kush through Kashmir and settled in parts of Himachal Pradesh and some ares of the South. They later migrated from there to Garhwal.^[5] Later they fled from the plains to the mountains when the Mughals invaded Rajasthan. They settled in the mountains and brought new skills and techniques along with them and practiced agriculture for a lot of time. Later they started joing other professions also.^[5][6] The Rajputs have been a part of the Garhwal army also. Today Garhwali Rajpuuts can be found all over the world.
2. Brahmins: The Brahmins settled in the Garhwal region are considered to be the descendants of the priests who migrated from the plains and settled in Garhwal.^[5] The Brahmins are also believed to have fled from various regions to flee from the Mughal invasion.^[6]They penetrated through valleys into Garhwal and found many areas named similarly to those from where they had migrated.
3. Tribals: The Tribals of Garhwal are of Mongoloid origin and have settled in the upper tracts of Garhwal. They lead a nomadic or semi nomadic way of life and are involved in occupations like animal husbandry, trade etc. Following are some of the tribes of Garhwal: A. Jaunsaris of Jaunsar-Bawar