Explore the Family Name Gerst
The meaning of Gerst
German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): metonymic occupational name for a grower of or dealer in barley, or more generally for a farmer, from Middle High German gerste, German Gerste ‘barley’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Gerst in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Gerst saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked 14,559 in popularity, but dropped to rank 15,328 by 2010, marking a decrease of 5.28 percent. Despite the decline in rank, the number of people with the Gerst surname increased from 1,877 in 2000 to 1,913 in 2010, an increase of 1.92 percent. However, the proportion of individuals with this surname per 100,000 people decreased by 7.14 percent during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,559 | #15,328 | -5.28% |
| Count | 1,877 | 1,913 | 1.92% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.7 | 0.65 | -7.14% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gerst
In terms of ethnic identity distribution, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that the majority of people with the Gerst surname identified as White, at 92.70 percent in 2000 and slightly less at 92.26 percent in 2010. The number of individuals identifying as two or more races saw a significant increase of 81.16 percent, though they still represent a small fraction of the total. Hispanic representation also increased from 1.07 percent to 1.52 percent. On the other hand, the percentage of Black individuals with the surname Gerst experienced a slight decrease from 4.79 percent to 4.50 percent. There were no recorded individuals with this surname who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native during these years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.7% | 92.26% | -0.47% |
| Black | 4.79% | 4.5% | -6.05% |
| Hispanic | 1.07% | 1.52% | 42.06% |
| Two or More Races | 0.69% | 1.25% | 81.16% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |