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

Gerard, 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 Gerard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gerard in America

Gerard is the 3914th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gerard surname appeared 9,075 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Gerard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gerard 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 Gerard

The surname GERARD originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Germanic name Gerard, which means "strong with a spear." The name is believed to have first appeared in the region of Brittany in northwestern France.

The earliest recorded mention of the surname GERARD can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book lists several individuals with the name GERARD, including Gerard de Tornai, who held land in Lincolnshire, England.

During the Middle Ages, variations of the surname GERARD began to emerge, such as Geraud, Gerrard, and Gerhart. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and spelling conventions.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname GERARD was Girart de Roussillon, a legendary figure from the 8th century who was the Count of Vienne and a vassal of Charlemagne. Girart de Roussillon is the subject of an Old French chanson de geste (epic poem) written in the 12th century.

In the 13th century, a notable figure with the surname GERARD was Étienne de GERARD, a French architect and engineer who was involved in the construction of the Cathedral of Metz in northeastern France.

Another historical figure with the surname GERARD was John GERARD, an English botanist and herbalist who lived from 1545 to 1612. He is known for his contributions to the study of plants and his publication of The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes.

In the 17th century, there was Louis GERARD, a Flemish painter and engraver who was born in 1593 and died in 1665. He was known for his religious paintings and engravings.

During the 18th century, a notable individual with the surname GERARD was François GERARD, a French painter who was born in 1770 and died in 1837. He is best known for his portraits of Napoleon Bonaparte and members of the imperial family.

Throughout history, the surname GERARD has also been associated with various place names, such as Gerardmer, a town in the Vosges region of eastern France, and Gerardville, a village in Belgium.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gerard

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

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

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

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