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

Gerig, 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 Gerig surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gerig in America

Gerig is the 23881st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gerig surname appeared 1,057 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 Gerig.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gerig 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 Gerig

The surname GERIG has its origins in Germany, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from the Germanic personal name 'Gericho' or 'Geriko', which was derived from the Old High German elements 'gēr' meaning 'spear' and 'rīko' meaning 'ruler' or 'mighty'. This suggests that the name may have been borne by individuals who were skilled warriors or leaders in their communities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, a medieval document from the 9th century that recorded land transfers and property holdings in the Westphalian region of Germany. In this document, a certain 'Gericus' is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction, indicating the presence of the name in that area during that time period.

The name also appears in various other historical documents from the Middle Ages, such as the Liber Censuum, a 12th-century register of properties and rents owed to the Holy Roman Empire. In this record, a 'Gerhardus Gerich' is listed as a landowner in the town of Worms, demonstrating the spread and use of the name across different regions of Germany.

One notable individual bearing the GERIG surname was Johann Gerig, a German scholar and humanist who lived in the 15th century (c. 1445 - 1510). He was a renowned teacher and translator, known for his Latin translations of Greek texts and his contributions to the study of classical literature.

Another prominent figure was Hans Gerig (1615 - 1686), a Swiss military officer and diplomat who served as a colonel in the Swiss Guards and played a crucial role in the negotiations that led to the Peace of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years' War in 1648.

In the 19th century, Friedrich Gerig (1841 - 1912) was a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Prussian House of Representatives and the Märkisches Museum.

The name also appeared in various place names throughout Germany, such as Gerigshausen, a town in Bavaria, and Gerichshain, a village in Saxony-Anhalt, further cementing its historical presence in the region.

While the surname GERIG has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields across different eras.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gerig

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

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

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

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