Gerben
A masculine Dutch name derived from the Germanic name "Gerbert" or "Gerbrandt", meaning "bright spear" or "famous spear".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Gerben. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gerben today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gerben births was 1916 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gerben. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gerben. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1916
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1920 SSA rank
#4,557
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Gerben: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gerben from the 1910s through to the 1920s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gerben by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Gerben during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Gerben
The given name Gerben has its origins in the Frisian language, which is spoken in the northern Netherlands and parts of Germany. It is derived from the Germanic root "ger" or "gair," meaning "spear," and the suffix "-ben," which is a diminutive form suggesting endearment or affection.
The name Gerben can be traced back to the early medieval period, around the 6th to 8th centuries, when the Frisians inhabited the coastal regions of the Netherlands and northwestern Germany. It is believed to have been a common name among the Frisian people during this time, reflecting their warrior culture and the importance of weaponry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gerben can be found in the Frisian legal text known as the "Lex Frisionum," which dates back to the 8th century. This text contains references to individuals with the name Gerben, indicating its widespread use among the Frisian population.
In the later medieval period, the name Gerben continued to be popular among the Frisians and the Dutch. One notable figure from this era was Gerben van Buren (c. 1400-1470), a Dutch politician and diplomat who served as the mayor of Utrecht and played a crucial role in the negotiations between the Duchy of Burgundy and the Dutch provinces.
During the Renaissance and Reformation periods, the name Gerben maintained its prominence in the Low Countries. Gerben Gerbrandsz (1512-1572) was a Dutch Renaissance painter and printmaker known for his religious works and portraits. Another figure from this period was Gerben Jacobsz Cnooper (c. 1550-1612), a Dutch Anabaptist leader and martyr who was executed for his religious beliefs.
In more recent history, the name Gerben has continued to be used, though with less frequency than in earlier times. One notable bearer of the name was Gerben Karstens (1942-2022), a Dutch actor and voice artist who lent his voice to numerous animated films and television shows.
Throughout its long history, the name Gerben has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including politicians, artists, religious figures, and actors. While its popularity may have waxed and waned over the centuries, it remains a distinct and enduring name with strong ties to the Frisian and Dutch cultural heritage.
People
Gerben + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gerben as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Gerben: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gerben?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gerben going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Gerben a common name?
We classify Gerben as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gerben most popular?
The single biggest year for Gerben was 1916, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gerben is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Gerben in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gerben a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gerben in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Gerben still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gerben in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Gerben can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Gerben?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Gerben at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.