2000
#12,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,209
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Gerace
Derived from a Greek name meaning "hawk" or from a Greek place name meaning "farmer" or "tiller of the soil."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,422 Americans carry the last name Gerace. That puts it at #13,728 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 141,517 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gerace surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 141,517
Census rank
#13,728
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,112 bearers of the surname Gerace in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13728th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gerace, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gerace
The surname Gerace has its origins in Italy, specifically in the southern region of Calabria. It is believed to have derived from the name of the town of Gerace, located in the province of Reggio Calabria. The town's name itself is of Greek origin, stemming from the ancient Greek word "Gerakia," which means "place of the hawks."
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Gerace can be traced back to the 11th century, when it appeared in various medieval records and documents from the region. One notable mention is found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis," a collection of historical documents from the Monastery of Cava dei Tirreni, which includes references to individuals with the surname Gerace.
During the Middle Ages, the Gerace family held significant influence and power in the area surrounding the town of Gerace. Historical records suggest that members of the family were involved in local governance and played a role in the region's political and cultural affairs.
One notable figure from the Gerace family was Tommaso Gerace, a renowned scholar and philosopher who lived in the 13th century. He was known for his contributions to the fields of logic and metaphysics, and his works were widely studied and referenced by other scholars of his time.
In the 15th century, another member of the Gerace family, Giovanni Gerace, gained recognition as a skilled architect and engineer. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings and structures in the region, including the Church of San Giorgio in Gerace.
Fast-forwarding to the 19th century, the Gerace surname gained further prominence with the birth of Antonio Gerace (1819-1892), a prominent Italian politician and statesman. He served as a member of the Italian Parliament and held various ministerial positions in the government of the Kingdom of Italy.
Other notable individuals with the surname Gerace include Vincenzo Gerace (1768-1837), an Italian painter and artist known for his religious works and frescoes adorning churches throughout Calabria, and Domenico Gerace (1879-1949), a celebrated Italian composer and conductor who contributed significantly to the development of classical music in the early 20th century.
While the surname Gerace is most commonly associated with its Italian roots, over time, it has spread to other parts of the world through immigration and diaspora. However, the historical records and notable figures mentioned above highlight the rich heritage and significance of this surname within the context of Italian history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gerace
Among Census respondents with the surname Gerace, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gerace bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Gerace surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 1,970
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 65
- Two or more races2.6% · 54
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 16
- Black or African American0.2% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gerace
Gerace appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,474
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,258
+49 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 678 places
2020
#13,728
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,112
-146 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 254 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,796 | 2,209 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,474 | 2,258 | 0.77 | +49 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 678 places |
| 2020 | #13,728 | 2,112 | 0.71 | -146 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 254 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Gerace surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,474 | #13,728 | -1.9% |
| Count | 2,258 | 2,112 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.71 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gerace bearers went from 2,258 to 2,112 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 254 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,474 to #13,728.
FAQ
Gerace surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gerace?
Name Census estimates that about 2,422 living Americans carry the surname Gerace. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 141,517 residents.
How common is Gerace?
Gerace ranks #13,728 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,112 people with the surname Gerace. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,422), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Gerace.
Has Gerace become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gerace went from 2,258 recorded bearers to 2,112. That is a decrease of 146 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,474 to #13,728.
What does the Census say about the background of Gerace?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gerace, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gerace in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (1,970 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gerace appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Gerace (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Gerace mean?
Derived from a Greek name meaning "hawk" or from a Greek place name meaning "farmer" or "tiller of the soil." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Gerace (0.71 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Gerace?
You can see how many people are called Gerace on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.