Gershon
A Hebrew surname derived from the biblical name Gershon, meaning "stranger there".
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,063 Americans carry the last name Gershon. That puts it at #26,887 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 322,441 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gershon surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
1.1K
1 in 322,441
Census rank
#26,887
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
903
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 903 bearers of the surname Gershon in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 26887th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gershon, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.4%) and Black (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gershon
The surname Gershon is of Hebrew origin, derived from the biblical name Gershon, which is one of the sons of Levi in the Old Testament. The name Gershon is thought to mean "expulsion" or "exile" in Hebrew.
While the name Gershon has biblical roots, it first emerged as a surname among Ashkenazi Jewish communities in Central and Eastern Europe in the late Middle Ages. As Jews were required to adopt hereditary surnames during this period, many chose names derived from biblical figures or Hebrew words.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Gershon can be found in the Pinkas, a record of the Jewish community in Krakow, Poland, dating back to the 16th century. The name is also mentioned in various Jewish community records and census records from the 17th and 18th centuries in regions such as Lithuania, Ukraine, and Belarus.
Notable individuals with the surname Gershon include Levi Isaac Gershon (1688-1756), a prominent rabbi and author from Brest-Litovsk, Belarus. Another notable figure is Mordechai Gershon (1757-1831), a Polish-born rabbi and scholar who served as the Chief Rabbi of Kherson, Ukraine.
In the 19th century, individuals with the surname Gershon can be found in various parts of Europe, including Isaac Gershon (1805-1880), a German-born Hebrew grammarian, and Salomon Gershon (1834-1919), a German-born mathematician and educator.
As Jews emigrated from Eastern Europe to other parts of the world, the surname Gershon spread to different countries. One notable figure in the United States was Abraham Gershon (1882-1952), a Yiddish writer and journalist who was born in Lithuania.
While the surname Gershon has its roots in the biblical name, it evolved as a hereditary surname among Jewish communities in Eastern Europe, and its bearers have made significant contributions in various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gershon
Among Census respondents with the surname Gershon, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.4%) and Black (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Gershon bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Gershon surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.8%
- Hispanic or Latino1.4%
- Black or African American1.3%
- Two or more races1.2%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Gershon surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #26,887 | #26,887 | 0.0% |
| Count | 903 | 903 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.31 | 0.31 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Gershon bearers went from 903 to 903 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #26,887 to #26,887.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gershon
FAQ
Gershon surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Gershon?
The surname Gershon holds position #26,887 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 1,063 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Gershon surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gershon, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.4%) and Black (1.3%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.