Explore the Family Name Gerling

The meaning of Gerling

1. German: patronymic from a short form of an ancient Germanic personal name beginning with the element gār, gēr ‘spear, lance’; compare Gerl. 2. English (Suffolk): from the Middle English personal name Gerling, Girling. It is related to ancient Germanic Gerlo, Girlo, and is likewise a pet form of ancient Germanic names in gār, gēr ‘spear, lance’ (compare Gerard and Gerald).

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Gerling in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Gerling has seen a rise in popularity from the year 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Gerling ranked 14,871st in popularity, but by 2010 it climbed up to the 13,297th spot, marking a 10.58% increase. The count of individuals with this surname also grew considerably, from 1,827 in 2000 to 2,294 in 2010, showing an impressive 25.56% surge. Accordingly, the proportion per 100,000 people increased by 14.71%, from 0.68 to 0.78.

20002010Change
Rank#14,871#13,29710.58%
Count1,8272,29425.56%
Proportion per 100k0.680.7814.71%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gerling

When it comes to the ethnic identity associated with the surname Gerling, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some interesting trends between 2000 and 2010. The majority of Gerlings identified as White, although this percentage showed a slight decrease from 95.02% in 2000 to 93.81% in 2010. While the proportion of Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Black identities increased over the decade with remarkable growth rates of 47.89%, 52.55%, and 103.33% respectively, the representation of American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased by 40.91%. The percentage of those identifying with two or more ethnicities also dropped slightly by 15.59%.

20002010Change
White95.02%93.81%-1.27%
Hispanic1.37%2.09%52.55%
Two or More Races1.86%1.57%-15.59%
Black0.6%1.22%103.33%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.71%1.05%47.89%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.44%0.26%-40.91%