2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gerdt
A Low German surname derived from the given name Gerard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Gerdt. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gerdt 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Gerdt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gerdt, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gerdt
The surname Gerdt originates from Germany, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic personal name Gerhard, which means "hardy" or "strong with the spear." This name was particularly popular in northern Germany during the medieval period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gerdt can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bremen, dating back to the 13th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as Gherdt, Gherdt, and Gherdt, reflecting the linguistic variations of the time.
In the 14th century, the Gerdt family was well-established in the region of Westphalia, located in present-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Historical records from this era mention several notable individuals bearing the surname, including Johannes Gerdt, a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Münster, who lived from around 1350 to 1420.
As the name spread across different regions, it evolved into various localized spellings and forms. For instance, in the southern German regions, it was sometimes written as Gärdt or Gärth, reflecting the local dialect's influence.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Heinrich Gerdt, a renowned scholar and theologian born in Lübeck in the late 15th century (approximately 1460-1525). His writings on theology and philosophy were widely circulated during the Renaissance period.
In the 16th century, the Gerdt family had established itself in the city of Hamburg, where they were renowned for their expertise in maritime trade and shipbuilding. Notably, Hans Gerdt (1520-1590) was a successful merchant and ship owner who played a significant role in the city's economic and maritime affairs.
The name Gerdt also has connections to place names in Germany, such as the town of Gerdau in Lower Saxony, which may have influenced the surname's evolution in certain regions.
Other notable individuals with the surname Gerdt include:
1. Johann Gerdt (1630-1695), a German artist and engraver known for his intricate etchings and woodcuts depicting religious and mythological scenes.
2. Karl Friedrich Gerdt (1770-1842), a German painter and lithographer who specialized in landscape and genre paintings, contributing to the development of the Biedermeier style.
3. Wilhelm Gerdt (1833-1901), a German novelist and playwright who wrote extensively on themes of rural life and social commentary.
4. Gustav Gerdt (1865-1938), a German painter and printmaker associated with the Impressionist and Expressionist movements, known for his vibrant landscapes and portraits.
5. Erich Gerdt (1897-1976), a German actor and film director who appeared in numerous silent films and early talkies during the Weimar Republic and Nazi eras.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gerdt
Among Census respondents with the surname Gerdt, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gerdt 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 Gerdt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gerdt
Gerdt appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,834 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 2,834 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 Gerdt 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 | #153,769 | #150,935 | 1.8% |
| Count | 106 | 108 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gerdt bearers went from 106 to 108 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 2,834 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #150,935.
FAQ
Gerdt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gerdt?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Gerdt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Gerdt?
Gerdt ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Gerdt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Gerdt.
Has Gerdt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gerdt went from 106 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Gerdt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gerdt, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Gerdt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gerdt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Gerdt (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 Gerdt mean?
A Low German surname derived from the given name Gerard. 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 Gerdt (0.04 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 have the surname Gerdt?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.