2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gerlak
A Polish surname derived from the Germanic word "gerl" meaning spear or javelin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Gerlak. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gerlak 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Gerlak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gerlak, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.2%) and Hispanic (6.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gerlak
The surname Gerlak has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the medieval era around the 12th century. It is believed to have evolved from the Old Germanic personal name "Gerlaicus," which means "spear warrior" or "javelin thrower." The name was initially confined to regions such as Bavaria and Saxony, where it was commonly found in various spellings like Gerlach, Gerloch, and Gerlake.
In the 13th century, records show the name appearing in the form of "Gerlacus" in the Codex Traditionum Corbeiensium, a medieval manuscript detailing the possessions and privileges of the Benedictine abbey in Corvey, Westphalia. This early reference suggests that bearers of the name may have been associated with the abbey or held lands in the area.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Gerlak was Johannes Gerlak, a German cleric and theologian born in the late 14th century. He served as a canon of the Regensburg Cathedral and was known for his scholarly works on canon law and theological subjects.
In the 15th century, the name Gerlak was found in various parts of Germany, often linked to place names such as Gerlachsheim (now Gerlachshausen) in Saxony-Anhalt, and Gerlachshausen in Hesse. This suggests that some branches of the family may have taken their names from these locations or vice versa.
Notable bearers of the surname include Nikolaus Gerlak, a German poet and writer born in 1490 in Nuremberg. His works, including poems and satires, were widely circulated during the Renaissance period. Another individual of note was Hans Gerlak, a 16th-century German architect and master builder who was involved in the construction of several notable churches and buildings in Saxony.
In the 17th century, the name Gerlak appeared in various records across Germany, including birth, marriage, and death registers. One noteworthy individual was Johann Gerlak, a German composer and organist born in 1620 in Saxony. He served as the court organist for the Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels and was renowned for his organ compositions and sacred music.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname Gerlak continued to be found in various regions of Germany, with some bearers migrating to other parts of Europe and beyond. Notable individuals from this period include Friedrich Gerlak, a German philosopher and writer born in 1786 in Saxony, who wrote extensively on ethics and moral philosophy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gerlak
Among Census respondents with the surname Gerlak, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.2%) and Hispanic (6.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Gerlak 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 Gerlak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.6% · 83
- Two or more races11.2% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.7% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gerlak
Gerlak appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-3 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,244 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 2,244 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 Gerlak 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 | #149,395 | #151,639 | -1.5% |
| Count | 110 | 107 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gerlak bearers went from 110 to 107 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 2,244 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #151,639.
FAQ
Gerlak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gerlak?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Gerlak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Gerlak?
Gerlak ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Gerlak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Gerlak.
Has Gerlak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gerlak went from 110 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Gerlak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gerlak, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.2%) and Hispanic (6.5%). 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 Gerlak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.6% (83 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gerlak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.6%), Two or More Races (11.2%), Hispanic (6.5%). 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 Gerlak (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 Gerlak mean?
A Polish surname derived from the Germanic word "gerl" 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 Gerlak (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 share the surname Gerlak?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.