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

Gernon, 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 Gernon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gernon in America

Gernon is the 76533rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gernon surname appeared 251 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 Gernon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gernon 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 Gernon

The surname Gernon has its origins in medieval France, specifically in the region of Normandy. The name is derived from the Old French word "gernon," which means "moustache" or "whiskers." This suggests that the name was likely a descriptive nickname given to someone with a prominent moustache or beard.

The earliest recorded instances of the Gernon surname can be traced back to the 11th century. It appears in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England. This indicates that individuals bearing the Gernon surname were among the Norman settlers who accompanied William and were granted lands in England.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Gernon surname was Ranulph Gernon, who lived in the late 11th and early 12th centuries. He was a Norman nobleman who held lands in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, England. Another notable figure was Ralph Gernon, who lived in the 12th century and was a prominent landowner in Yorkshire.

During the Middle Ages, the Gernon surname was also found in various spellings, such as Gernoun, Gernoun, and Gernun, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common at the time. The surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire in England.

One of the most famous individuals with the Gernon surname was Sir Thomas Gernon (circa 1345-1420), a English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War against France. He was also a member of Parliament and served as a justice of the peace in Yorkshire. Another notable figure was John Gernon (circa 1528-1591), an English Protestant reformer and Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry.

The Gernon surname can also be linked to various place names in England, such as Gernon Manor in Buckinghamshire and Gernon Hill in Nottinghamshire, suggesting that the name was associated with particular landholdings or geographic features. Additionally, the name Gernon appears in historical records related to the Crusades, indicating that individuals bearing this surname may have participated in these military campaigns to the Holy Land.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gernon

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

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

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

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