Find out how popular the last name Gear is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Gear.

Gear, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Gear surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gear in America

Gear is the 15259th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gear surname appeared 1,926 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Gear.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gear to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Gear

The surname GEAR is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "gær" meaning "spear" or "javelin." It likely originated as an occupational name for a maker or seller of spears during the Anglo-Saxon period.

GEAR is also believed to have been an early variant spelling of the more common surname "GERE," which was derived from the Old English personal name "Gær," meaning "spear." This personal name was frequently used by the Anglo-Saxons and was later adopted as a surname.

The earliest known record of the surname GEAR dates back to the 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, compiled in 1273, there is mention of a John le Gere, who was likely a spearmaker or spear seller.

Another early reference to the surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a Walter le Gere is listed. This suggests that the name was present in various regions of England during the Middle Ages.

One notable individual with the surname GEAR was John Gear, a 16th-century English philosopher and theologian. Born in Norfolk around 1520, he was a Protestant reformer and authored several theological works, including a commentary on the Book of Revelation.

Another individual of note was Sir Robert Gear, a 17th-century English merchant and politician. He served as Lord Mayor of London in 1646 and played a significant role in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentary cause.

In the 18th century, John Gear was a renowned English surveyor and cartographer. He produced detailed maps of various counties in England, including Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, which were highly regarded for their accuracy and precision.

The surname GEAR was also associated with place names in England, such as Gearside in Northumberland, and Gearston in Wiltshire. These place names likely derived from individuals with the surname GEAR who once lived or owned land in those areas.

One of the more prominent figures with the surname GEAR was Henry Edmund Gear, a 19th-century English engineer and inventor. Born in 1825, he designed and patented several important innovations in the field of mechanical engineering, including improvements to steam engines and printing presses.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gear

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Gear.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Gear was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Gear has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Gear was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gear, please contact us.

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