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

Gerken, 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 Gerken surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gerken in America

Gerken is the 7807th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gerken surname appeared 4,240 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Gerken.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gerken 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 Gerken

The surname Gerken is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "gerke," which means "a worker of land." The name likely originated among agricultural communities in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in areas like Lower Saxony and Westphalia.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Gerken can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bremen, dating back to the 13th century.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 was also mentioned in the Deutsches Städtebuch, a compilation of records from various German cities, in the 14th century.

The Gerken surname may have initially been used as a descriptive term for individuals who worked as farmers or landowners. Over time, it became a hereditary family name passed down through generations. The name underwent various spellings, such as Gerken, Gercken, and Gerchen, due to regional variations and linguistic changes.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, several notable individuals bearing the surname Gerken emerged. One such figure was Johannes Gerken (1545-1619), a renowned Lutheran theologian and reformer from Hamburg. Another was Hans Gerken (1590-1667), a German painter and engraver known for his religious works and portraiture.

In the 18th century, Johann Gerken (1701-1768) was a prominent German mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and authored several influential works on mathematics and astronomy.

Moving into the 19th century, Carl Friedrich Gerken (1819-1890) was a German historian and archivist who specialized in the study of medieval manuscripts and historical documents. His research shed light on the cultural and political history of northern Germany during the Middle Ages.

Another notable figure was Wilhelm Gerken (1856-1924), a German engineer and inventor who played a crucial role in the development of early diesel engines. His innovations and patent filings were instrumental in the advancement of internal combustion technology.

As the Gerken surname spread across Europe and beyond, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including academics, artists, scientists, and professionals in various fields. While the specific origins and early bearers of the name may be obscured by the passage of time, the surname Gerken remains a testament to the rich cultural heritage and history of Germany.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gerken

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

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

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

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