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

Gerges, 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 Gerges surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gerges in America

Gerges is the 24593rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gerges surname appeared 1,016 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gerges.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gerges 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 Gerges

The surname GERGES is believed to have originated in Egypt, with roots tracing back to the ancient Greek language. The name is derived from the Greek word "Georgios," meaning "farmer" or "earth-worker." This connection suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been farmers or individuals involved in agricultural activities in the region.

Records indicate that the GERGES surname first appeared in Egypt during the Byzantine period, when a significant Greek-speaking population resided in the country. The earliest known reference to the name can be found in a manuscript dated from the 6th century AD, which mentions a landowner named "Georgios Gerges" in the Nile Delta region.

As the Arab conquest of Egypt took place in the 7th century, the GERGES surname underwent various linguistic transformations. The Arabic language influenced the pronunciation and spelling of the name, leading to variations such as "Girgis" and "Jirjis." These variations were commonly used among Coptic Christians in Egypt, who maintained their ancestral Greek names alongside their new Arabic identities.

Throughout the medieval period, the GERGES surname continued to appear in various Egyptian records and documents. One notable example is a 12th-century tax register from the Fatimid Caliphate, which lists several landowners with the surname GERGES in the region of al-Fayyum.

In the 14th century, a prominent figure bearing the GERGES surname was Anba Girgis al-Muqaddes (1268-1339), a Coptic Christian bishop and saint who served as the Patriarch of Alexandria. His life and works were documented in several hagiographies, further cementing the historical presence of the GERGES surname in Egypt.

During the Ottoman period, the GERGES surname remained prevalent among Coptic Christians in Egypt. One notable individual was Ibrahim Gerges (1600-1665), a Coptic scholar and theologian who authored several influential works on Coptic liturgy and theology.

Another significant figure was Mikhail Gerges (1753-1821), a Coptic historian and writer who chronicled the history of the Coptic Church and served as the personal secretary to several Coptic patriarchs. His detailed accounts provide valuable insights into the lives and experiences of Coptic Christians during the Ottoman era.

In the 19th century, a prominent bearer of the GERGES surname was Boutros Gerges (1820-1895), a Coptic lawyer and judge who played a crucial role in the modernization of Egypt's legal system during the reign of Khedive Ismail Pasha.

As the GERGES surname spread beyond Egypt, it also found its way into other regions with Coptic Christian communities, such as Sudan, Ethiopia, and parts of the Levant. However, the historical roots and earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to its Egyptian origins, with a rich tapestry of cultural and linguistic influences woven into its evolution.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gerges

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

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

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

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