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

Gerdes, 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 Gerdes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gerdes in America

Gerdes is the 5821st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gerdes surname appeared 5,940 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Gerdes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gerdes 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 Gerdes

The surname Gerdes is of German origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the Lower Saxony region of northern Germany, where it was derived from the Old German personal name Gerhard or Gerard, meaning "strong with a spear".

The earliest recorded instance of the name Gerdes can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bremen, dating back to 1260. In these records, a merchant named Gerhard Gerdes is mentioned in a trade agreement.

During the Middle Ages, the name Gerdes was particularly prevalent in the rural areas surrounding the towns of Stade and Buxtehude, along the Elbe River. It is likely that the name was initially associated with farming communities in these regions.

In the 16th century, the name Gerdes appeared in several chronicles and tax records from the city of Hamburg. One notable example is the merchant Johann Gerdes, who was a prominent member of the Hamburg Merchants' Guild in the late 1500s.

As the name spread throughout northern Germany, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Gerdts, Gerdes, Gerdes, and Gerdsen. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and regional pronunciations.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Gerdes was Hans Gerdes, a German painter who lived in the 15th century. His works can be found in various churches and museums throughout northern Germany.

In the 17th century, the name gained recognition through the works of Johann Gerdes, a Lutheran theologian and historian who was born in 1663 in the town of Verden. His most notable work, "Historia Reformationis," chronicled the history of the Protestant Reformation.

Another notable figure with the surname Gerdes was Johann Georg Gerdes, a German composer and organist born in 1699 in the city of Quedlinburg. He composed several church cantatas and organ works that were widely performed during his lifetime.

In the 19th century, the name Gerdes was associated with several prominent figures in the field of education. One such individual was Friedrich Gerdes, a German educator and author who was born in 1807 in the town of Aurich. He wrote several influential books on teaching methods and educational reform.

Throughout history, the surname Gerdes has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, musicians, and businessmen. While its origins can be traced back to northern Germany, the name has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gerdes

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

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

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

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