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

Gerling, 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 Gerling surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gerling in America

Gerling is the 13297th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gerling surname appeared 2,294 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 Gerling.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gerling 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 Gerling

The surname Gerling originates from the German language and is believed to have its roots in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in areas such as Lower Saxony and Westphalia. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "ger," which means "spear" or "javelin," suggesting a connection to warfare or hunting.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 14th century, when a certain Johannes Gerling was mentioned in the records of the city of Lübeck, a prominent trading hub in northern Germany. This indicates that the name was already established in the region during this period.

The Gerling surname also appears in several historical documents from the 16th and 17th centuries, including church records and municipal registers from various towns and cities across northern Germany. Some notable individuals bearing this name from this era include Johann Gerling (1561-1637), a Lutheran theologian and author, and Hans Gerling (1583-1649), a merchant and city councilor in Hamburg.

As the name spread throughout Germany, different variations in spelling emerged, such as Geerling, Gerlingh, and Gehrling. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local pronunciation patterns.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Gerling surname became more widely dispersed across Europe and beyond, with some notable bearers including:

1. Friedrich Gerling (1785-1859), a German businessman and entrepreneur who founded the Gerling Insurance Company in Cologne.
2. Ernst Gerling (1817-1898), a German composer and musician known for his contributions to the field of church music.
3. Wilhelm Gerling (1832-1912), a German-born architect who worked extensively in the Netherlands and designed several notable buildings in Amsterdam.
4. Heinrich Gerling (1866-1937), a German politician and member of the Reichstag, representing the Social Democratic Party.
5. Hans Gerling (1888-1960), a German engineer and inventor who patented several innovations in the field of automotive technology.

While the Gerling surname has its roots in northern Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and diaspora, with descendants bearing the name found in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and South America.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gerling

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

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

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

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