2000
#115,489
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gerot
A locational surname originating from a place name possibly derived from the French word "gueir" meaning "little wood".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Gerot. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gerot 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Gerot in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gerot, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gerot
The surname Gerot has its origins in France, dating back to the medieval period around the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old French word "gerot," which referred to a small heron or egret bird. This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname for someone with a slender or graceful appearance, akin to the bird.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gerot surname can be found in the historic Livre des Métiers, a medieval document from Paris, which dates back to the 13th century. This document listed various trades and occupations, suggesting that the Gerot name may have been associated with a particular profession or guild during that time.
In the 14th century, the name appears in the Calendars of the Exchequer, a series of ancient administrative records of the English Exchequer. These records mention a certain Robert Gerot, who was a tax collector in the county of Somerset in England during the reign of King Edward III.
During the 16th century, the Gerot surname gained prominence in the region of Burgundy, France. Notably, Jean Gerot (1520-1585) was a renowned French theologian and scholar who authored several influential works on religious doctrine and philosophy.
In the 17th century, Pierre Gerot (1600-1676) was a prominent French architect and engineer who played a significant role in the construction of the iconic Canal du Midi, a remarkable engineering feat that connected the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea.
Another notable figure with the Gerot surname was Jean-Baptiste Gerot (1730-1810), a French military officer who served during the French Revolutionary Wars. He rose through the ranks and eventually became a highly decorated general, renowned for his strategic capabilities and bravery on the battlefield.
In the 19th century, the Gerot name gained recognition in the field of art. Antoine Gerot (1810-1890) was a celebrated French painter known for his landscapes and depictions of rural life in the countryside of Normandy.
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of individuals bearing the Gerot surname throughout history, reflecting the rich tapestry of cultural and historical significance associated with this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gerot
Among Census respondents with the surname Gerot, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Gerot 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 Gerot surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 116
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gerot
Gerot appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-33 bearers (-23.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 37,139 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+9 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,600 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #115,489 | 140 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -33 bearers (-23.6%) | Down 37,139 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.4%) | Up 7,600 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 Gerot 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 | #152,628 | #145,028 | 5.0% |
| Count | 107 | 116 | 8.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gerot bearers went from 107 to 116 (+8.4% change). The surname moved up 7,600 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #145,028.
FAQ
Gerot surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gerot?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Gerot. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Gerot?
Gerot ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Gerot. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Gerot.
Has Gerot become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gerot went from 107 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 9 (+8.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Gerot?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gerot, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Gerot in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gerot appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Gerot (2000, 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 Gerot mean?
A locational surname originating from a place name possibly derived from the French word "gueir" meaning "little wood". 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 Gerot (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 common is the surname Gerot?
Find out how many people are called Gerot on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.