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

Jerz, 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 Jerz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jerz in America

Jerz is the 86005th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jerz surname appeared 217 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 Jerz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jerz 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 Jerz

The surname JERZ originated in Germany and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "Gerz" or "Garz," which referred to a spear or javelin. This suggests that the name may have originated from an occupation or perhaps a nickname related to weapon-making or warfare.

One of the earliest known records of the name JERZ can be found in the town of Bornheim, near Cologne, Germany, where it appeared in a document dated 1278. This document mentions a certain "Henricus Gerz," indicating that the name was already in use in that region during the late Middle Ages.

In the 15th century, the name JERZ appeared in various spellings, such as "Garz," "Gerz," and "Gertz," in historical records from various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland.

One notable figure bearing the surname JERZ was Johann Gerz (1498-1567), a German theologian and Protestant reformer from Saxony. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was a close associate of Martin Luther.

Another individual of historical significance was Friedrich Gerz (1701-1776), a German composer and organist who lived in the 18th century. He is remembered for his contributions to church music and his compositions for organ and vocal ensembles.

In the 19th century, the name JERZ was associated with several notable figures, including Johann Gerz (1820-1895), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives.

Another significant figure was Karl Gerz (1854-1924), a German industrialist and inventor who founded the Gerz & Co. engineering company. He is credited with developing several innovative machines and devices used in the textile industry.

The surname JERZ has also been associated with various places and locations throughout Germany. For example, the town of Gerz, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, is believed to have derived its name from the same root as the surname.

While the name JERZ is primarily associated with Germany, it has also been found in other parts of Europe, including Poland, Austria, and Switzerland, where it may have been introduced through migration or intermarriage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jerz

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!