2000
#26,946
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 847
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.31
Very Rare Last name
Gere
An English surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the Old English "gær" meaning spear or javelin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 963 Americans carry the last name Gere. That puts it at #29,865 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 355,924 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gere 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
963
1 in 355,924
Census rank
#29,865
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
840
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 840 bearers of the surname Gere in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 29865th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gere, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gere
The surname GERE originated in France during the early Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "gerre," which means "quarrel" or "dispute." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone with a quarrelsome or contentious nature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GERE can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and resources in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. It is listed as "Gere," suggesting that the name had already made its way across the English Channel by the 11th century.
During the 13th century, the name GERE appeared in various records in the county of Northamptonshire, England. In 1273, a Robert Gere was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls, which were administrative records compiled for King Edward I.
The name GERE was also found in France during this period, with variations such as "Gerre" and "Guerre." In 1292, a Jean Gerre was recorded in the tax rolls of the city of Paris.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname GERE was John Gere, who was born in Groton, Suffolk, England, in the late 15th century. He was a prominent landowner and played a role in local affairs.
Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Gere, who lived in the 16th century and served as a member of Parliament for the county of Norfolk, England. He was a wealthy landowner and played a significant role in the local community.
In the 17th century, the GERE surname was found in various parts of England, including Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. One notable individual was Richard Gere, a wealthy merchant who lived in the city of Bristol in the late 1600s.
During the 18th century, the name GERE was also present in Scotland, with records indicating individuals with this surname living in the lowlands and around Edinburgh.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname GERE was the American actor Richard Gere, born in 1949. He is known for his roles in numerous Hollywood films, including "Pretty Woman" and "Chicago."
While the name GERE has its origins in France and has been present in England for centuries, it has also been found in other parts of Europe, including Germany and the Netherlands, where it has taken on various spellings and variations over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gere
Among Census respondents with the surname Gere, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Gere 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 Gere surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 736
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 38
- Two or more races3.5% · 29
- Black or African American2.6% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gere
Gere 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
#28,215
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 848
+1 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Down 1,269 places
2020
#29,865
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 840
-8 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Down 1,650 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,946 | 847 | 0.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #28,215 | 848 | 0.29 | +1 bearers (+0.1%) | Down 1,269 places |
| 2020 | #29,865 | 840 | 0.28 | -8 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 1,650 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 Gere 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 | #28,215 | #29,865 | -5.8% |
| Count | 848 | 840 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.29 | 0.28 | -3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gere bearers went from 848 to 840 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 1,650 positions in the national ranking, going from #28,215 to #29,865.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gere
FAQ
Gere surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gere?
Name Census estimates that about 963 living Americans carry the surname Gere. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 355,924 residents.
How common is Gere?
Gere ranks #29,865 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.28 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 840 people with the surname Gere. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (963), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.28 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 Gere.
Has Gere become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gere went from 848 recorded bearers to 840. That is a decrease of 8 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #28,215 to #29,865.
What does the Census say about the background of Gere?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gere, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Gere in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (736 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gere appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Gere (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 Gere mean?
An English surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the Old English "gær" meaning spear or javelin. 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 Gere (0.28 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 last name Gere?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Gere on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.