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

Gerry, 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 Gerry surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gerry in America

Gerry is the 11229th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gerry surname appeared 2,814 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 Gerry.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gerry 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 Gerry

The surname Gerry originated in Ireland and has its roots in the Gaelic language. It is a variant of the Irish name Ó Geirí, which means "descendant of Geirí." The name Geirí itself is derived from the Old Irish word "gair," meaning "calling" or "shouting."

The earliest recorded instances of the name Gerry can be traced back to the 13th century in County Mayo, Ireland. The name was prominent among the ruling Gaelic families in the region during this period.

In medieval Irish records, the name was often spelled as "O'Gerry" or "O'Gairry." These spellings reflect the Anglicization of the original Irish name, which occurred as English influence grew in Ireland.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Muircheartach Ó Geirí, a prominent chieftain who lived in the 13th century. He was a member of the Uí Briúin Aí dynasty, which ruled over parts of County Mayo.

Another notable figure was Eoghan Ó Geirí, a 16th-century Irish poet and scholar. He was renowned for his works in the Irish language and his contributions to preserving the rich literary traditions of his time.

In the 17th century, the surname Gerry gained prominence in Munster, particularly in County Clare. During the Irish Confederate Wars (1641-1653), Donough Gerry was a notable military leader who fought against the English forces.

The name Gerry has also been associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Gerry's Island in County Mayo and Gerryloughra in County Kerry. These place names likely derived from the presence of Gerry families in those areas.

Other notable individuals with the surname Gerry include Elbridge Gerry (1744-1814), an American statesman and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He served as the 5th Vice President under James Madison.

In more recent times, Gerard Gerry (1914-1998) was a renowned Irish actor and playwright. He was best known for his work in the Abbey Theatre and his contributions to the Irish literary scene.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gerry

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

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

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

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