2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gerrin
English habitational surname for someone from Guerin, a village in Normandy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Gerrin. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gerrin 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Gerrin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gerrin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Black (2.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gerrin
The surname GERRIN is believed to have originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, which spanned from the 5th to the 11th centuries. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "gær" (meaning spear) and "rinen" (meaning to strike or thrust), suggesting that the name may have originally referred to a skilled spearman or a warrior.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GERRIN surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this document, the name appears as "Gærrin", which was likely the original spelling.
During the Middle Ages, the GERRIN name was primarily concentrated in the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Wiltshire, where many families bearing this surname lived and worked as farmers, craftsmen, or soldiers. By the 13th century, variations such as "Gerin", "Geryn", and "Gerryn" had emerged, reflecting the evolving pronunciation and spelling of the name over time.
One notable individual with the GERRIN surname was Sir John Gerrin (c. 1430-1501), a prominent English landowner and courtier during the reign of King Edward IV. Sir John played a key role in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars fought between the Houses of Lancaster and York for control of the English throne.
Another significant figure was William Gerrin (1558-1625), an English mathematician and astronomer who made important contributions to the development of logarithms and the study of celestial bodies. His works, including "Arithmetica Logarithmica" (1624), were highly influential in the scientific community of the time.
In the 18th century, the GERRIN surname was associated with several prominent figures in the arts and literature. For example, Thomas Gerrin (1720-1789) was a highly regarded English painter known for his landscapes and portraits, while his contemporary, Elizabeth Gerrin (1735-1801), was a celebrated novelist and playwright whose works explored themes of social class and gender roles.
During the 19th century, the GERRIN name gained further recognition through the achievements of individuals such as Sir Robert Gerrin (1810-1892), a renowned British explorer and geographer who made significant contributions to the mapping of Africa and the Middle East. Additionally, Mary Gerrin (1845-1920) was a pioneering suffragette and advocate for women's rights, playing a pivotal role in the campaign for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom.
Throughout its history, the GERRIN surname has been associated with various places and localities across England, such as Gerrin's Hill in Gloucestershire, Gerrin's Farm in Oxfordshire, and Gerrin's Wood in Wiltshire, further cementing its deep roots in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gerrin
Among Census respondents with the surname Gerrin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Black (2.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Gerrin 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 Gerrin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 110
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gerrin
Gerrin 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
#125,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
+14 bearers (+11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 2,666 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-19 bearers (-13.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,229 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #125,282 | 137 | 0.05 | +14 bearers (+11.4%) | Up 2,666 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-13.9%) | Down 18,229 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 Gerrin 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 | #125,282 | #143,511 | -14.6% |
| Count | 137 | 118 | -13.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -21.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gerrin bearers went from 137 to 118 (-13.9% change). The surname moved down 18,229 positions in the national ranking, going from #125,282 to #143,511.
FAQ
Gerrin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gerrin?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Gerrin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Gerrin?
Gerrin ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Gerrin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Gerrin.
Has Gerrin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gerrin went from 137 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 19 (-13.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #125,282 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Gerrin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gerrin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Black (2.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Gerrin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gerrin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Black (2.5%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Gerrin (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 Gerrin mean?
English habitational surname for someone from Guerin, a village in Normandy. 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 Gerrin (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 are called Gerrin?
Want to know how many people are called Gerrin? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.