Explore the Family Name Gearing
The meaning of Gearing
1. English (Sussex and London): perhaps a nickname from Middle English gering, apparently with the sense ‘lecher; glutton’. 2. English (of French Huguenot origin): Anglicized form of French Guérin (see Guerin). 3. Americanized form of German Gehring or of some other similar (like-sounding) German surname (compare e.g. Gahring and Garing).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Gearing in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Gearing has seen a slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. The ranking of the surname fell from 23,530 in 2000 to 25,171 in 2010, showing a drop of approximately 6.97%. The total count of individuals with the Gearing surname also dropped by about 2.09%, from 1,006 in 2000 to 985 in 2010. This led to a decline in the proportion of people with the surname per 100K, which declined from 0.37 to 0.33, marking a reduction of 10.81%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #23,530 | #25,171 | -6.97% |
| Count | 1,006 | 985 | -2.09% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.37 | 0.33 | -10.81% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gearing
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts among those bearing the Gearing surname between 2000 and 2010. While there were no individuals identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native, there was an increase of those identifying with two or more races, climbing from 0.60% to 1.02%, a significant increase of 70%. The majority of those with the Gearing surname identified as White, although this percentage saw a slight decrease from 85.39% to 84.67%. The Hispanic representation also decreased slightly from 1.39% to 1.32%. However, there was a small increase in the percentage of individuals who identify as Black from 12.52% to 12.59%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 85.39% | 84.67% | -0.84% |
| Black | 12.52% | 12.59% | 0.56% |
| Hispanic | 1.39% | 1.32% | -5.04% |
| Two or More Races | 0.6% | 1.02% | 70% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |