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

Gearring, 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 Gearring surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gearring in America

Gearring is the 117480th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gearring surname appeared 148 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gearring.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gearring 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 Gearring

The surname "GEARRING" is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, likely derived from a combination of the Old English words "gearr" meaning "spear" and "ing" which was a common suffix used to denote belonging or relationship. This suggests the name may have initially referred to someone who was a skilled spearmaker or a warrior proficient in the use of spears.

The earliest recorded instances of this surname can be traced back to the 14th century in various parish records and tax rolls from the counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset. In the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327, a certain John Gearring is listed as a landowner in the village of Nailsworth, Gloucestershire. This is one of the oldest documented examples of the name in its current spelling.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the surname appears to have spread across southern and central England, with variants such as "Gearing" and "Gearinge" appearing in historical documents from counties like Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire. One notable individual from this time was Thomas Gearring, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in the late 1500s.

In the 17th century, a branch of the Gearring family established themselves in the county of Northamptonshire, where they were recorded as prominent landowners and members of the local gentry. A notable figure from this branch was Sir William Gearring (1620-1687), a Member of Parliament and Justice of the Peace who served during the reign of King Charles II.

As the surname spread across England, it also found its way into various place names and toponyms. For example, the village of Gearring's Green in Buckinghamshire is believed to have derived its name from a Gearring family who once owned land in the area.

Other notable individuals with the surname "GEARRING" throughout history include:

1. Robert Gearring (1712-1784), a renowned clockmaker from London whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the aristocracy.

2. Elizabeth Gearring (1792-1872), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's education in the early 19th century, who founded several schools for girls in the city of Bristol.

3. Sir Arthur Gearring (1845-1923), a prominent British diplomat who served as Ambassador to Russia and Turkey during the late 19th century.

4. Henry Gearring (1889-1967), a celebrated English novelist and playwright whose works explored themes of social class and societal change in early 20th century Britain.

5. Alice Gearring (1920-2005), a renowned archaeologist and expert on ancient Egyptian civilizations, who made significant contributions to our understanding of Egyptian burial practices and hieroglyphics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gearring

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

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 Gearring 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 Gearring 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 Gearring was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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