2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gerhardson
A Swedish patronymic surname meaning "son of Gerhard".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Gerhardson. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gerhardson 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Gerhardson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gerhardson, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gerhardson
The surname Gerhardson has its origins in Scandinavia, particularly in Sweden and Norway, where it was derived from the personal name Gerhard. Gerhard is an old Germanic name composed of the elements "ger" meaning "spear" and "hard" meaning "brave" or "hardy." The addition of the suffix "-son" indicates that the name refers to the son of someone named Gerhard.
The earliest recorded instances of the Gerhardson surname date back to the 13th century in Sweden. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Gerhard Gerhardson, a prominent Swedish nobleman who lived in the late 13th century and served as a member of the Privy Council under King Magnus III.
In Norway, the Gerhardson surname can be traced back to the 14th century, with records showing various individuals bearing this name in different regions of the country. One notable figure was Olav Gerhardson, a Norwegian priest and scholar who lived in the late 14th century and is known for his contributions to the field of canon law.
During the Middle Ages, the Gerhardson name was also found in various parts of Denmark, where it was often associated with the Danish nobility. In the 15th century, there are records of a Danish knight named Jens Gerhardson who participated in the Kalmar Union, a series of personal unions that united the kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
As the centuries passed, the Gerhardson surname continued to be prominent in Scandinavia, with several notable individuals bearing this name. In the 17th century, there was a Swedish military officer named Carl Gerhardson (1619-1688) who fought in the Thirty Years' War and later served as the governor of the Swedish territory of Ingria (now part of Russia).
Another notable Gerhardson was Johan Gerhardson (1737-1810), a Swedish botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of flora in Scandinavia. He was responsible for documenting and classifying numerous plant species found in the region.
In the 19th century, the Gerhardson surname was also found in other parts of Europe, particularly in Germany and the Netherlands, where it was likely introduced through migration or intermarriage with Scandinavian families. One notable German bearer of this name was Wilhelm Gerhardson (1855-1924), a prominent architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin and other German cities.
Overall, the surname Gerhardson has a rich historical legacy that spans several centuries and multiple countries, primarily in Scandinavia but also in other parts of Europe. Its origins can be traced back to the personal name Gerhard, which has been a part of the Germanic language and culture for centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gerhardson
Among Census respondents with the surname Gerhardson, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gerhardson 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 Gerhardson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 110
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gerhardson
Gerhardson 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
+10 bearers (+8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 301 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-16 bearers (-12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,021 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | +10 bearers (+8.1%) | Down 301 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.0%) | Down 16,021 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 Gerhardson 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 | #128,249 | #144,270 | -12.5% |
| Count | 133 | 117 | -12.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gerhardson bearers went from 133 to 117 (-12.0% change). The surname moved down 16,021 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #144,270.
FAQ
Gerhardson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gerhardson?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Gerhardson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Gerhardson?
Gerhardson ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Gerhardson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Gerhardson.
Has Gerhardson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gerhardson went from 133 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 16 (-12.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Gerhardson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gerhardson, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Gerhardson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gerhardson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Gerhardson (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 Gerhardson mean?
A Swedish patronymic surname meaning "son of Gerhard". 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 Gerhardson (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 last name Gerhardson?
Want to know how common the surname Gerhardson is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.