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

Gerber, 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 Gerber surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gerber in America

Gerber is the 2170th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gerber surname appeared 16,732 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Gerber.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gerber 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 Gerber

The surname Gerber originates from Germany, where it first appeared in the medieval period. It is derived from the Middle High German word "gerwe," which referred to a tanner or leather worker. The name likely emerged as an occupational surname, given to individuals who worked in the tanning or leather trade.

The earliest known record of the name Gerber dates back to the 13th century in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, located in the Franconia region of Germany. In 1275, a document mentions a "Cunradus Gerwer," which is believed to be an early spelling variation of the surname.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Gerber was Hans Gerber, a 15th-century Swiss military leader and politician. He served as the mayor of Bern and played a crucial role in the Old Zurich War between the Swiss Confederacy and the Duchy of Austria.

In the 16th century, the Gerber family gained prominence in the city of Nuremberg, where they were influential merchants and members of the city's patrician class. Johann Gerber (1500-1570) was a prominent merchant and councilor in Nuremberg during this time.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any reference to the surname Gerber. This suggests that the name did not have a significant presence in England during the Norman period.

Another notable figure with the surname Gerber was Johann Gerber (1591-1666), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister at the court of the Prince-Abbot of Fulda in central Germany.

In the 18th century, Johann Sebastian Gerber (1738-1795) was a German lexicographer and music theorist. He is best known for his "Historisch-Biographisches Lexikon der Tonkünstler" (Historical-Biographical Dictionary of Musicians), a significant early work in the field of music biography.

The 19th century saw the rise of Adolf Gerber (1834-1914), a German politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Justice for the Kingdom of Saxony from 1893 to 1901.

One of the most renowned individuals with the surname Gerber was Rudolph Gerber (1886-1950), an Austrian-American architect who played a significant role in the development of the Art Deco architectural style in the United States. He designed several iconic buildings in New York City, including the Barbizon Plaza Hotel and the McGraw-Hill Building.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gerber

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

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

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

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