Gerran
A masculine name derived from the Welsh word "ger" meaning "near".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Gerran. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gerran today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gerran births was 1982 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gerran. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Gerran with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gerran. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1982
6 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
1984 SSA rank
#6,672
Tracked since 1982
Popularity
Gerran: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Gerran 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 Gerran during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Gerran
The name Gerran is believed to have originated from the Celtic languages, specifically from the Welsh or Breton roots. It is thought to be derived from the Proto-Celtic word *ger, meaning "near" or "close." The name may have been used as a descriptive term or a locational surname in ancient times, referring to someone who lived near a particular place or landmark.
One of the earliest known references to the name Gerran can be found in medieval Welsh literature. In the 12th century, a character named Gerran ap Ythel appears in the Welsh tales of the Mabinogion. This suggests that the name was in use among the Welsh people during that period.
In the early 13th century, a figure named Gerran de Berneval was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Normandy, France. This indicates that variations of the name were also present in Norman French and possibly other Romance languages at the time.
One of the most notable historical figures with the name Gerran was Sir Gerran de Cornouailles, a 14th-century English knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He is mentioned in several contemporary chronicles and records from the 1300s.
Another notable bearer of the name was Gerran de Peitou, a French poet and troubadour who lived in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. His works were preserved in several medieval manuscripts and provide insight into the literary and cultural traditions of the time.
In the 16th century, Gerran Howe was an English politician and member of Parliament who served during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He is recorded in parliamentary records and historical documents from the late 1500s.
Other notable individuals with the name Gerran include Gerran FitzWilliam, an Irish nobleman from the 14th century, and Gerran Harcourt, a 17th-century English landowner and magistrate whose name appears in various legal and property records of the period.
While the name Gerran has its roots in ancient Celtic languages, it has been used across various cultures and regions throughout history, often as a variant or adaptation of the original form.
People
Gerran + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gerran 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
Gerran: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gerran?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gerran 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 1 in 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Gerran a common name?
We classify Gerran as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gerran most popular?
The single biggest year for Gerran was 1982, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gerran is about 45 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 Gerran in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gerran a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gerran 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 Gerran still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gerran 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 Gerran 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 people have the name Gerran?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Gerran on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.