NameCensus.

UK surname

Gerald

An Old Germanic name derived from the elements "ger" (spear) and "wald" (rule), indicating a spear ruler or mighty spearman.

In the 1881 census there were 38 people recorded with the Gerald surname, ranking it #28,285 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 370, ranked #12,591, up from #28,285 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Birmingham, Westminster and Waltham Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gerald is 370 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 873.7%.

1881 census count

38

Ranked #28,285

Modern count

370

2016, ranked #12,591

Peak year

2016

370 bearers

Map years

6

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gerald had 38 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,285 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 370 in 2016, ranked #12,591.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 256 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Gerald surname distribution map

The map shows where the Gerald surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Gerald surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gerald over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 48 #24,615
1861 historical 167 #13,956
1881 historical 38 #28,285
1891 historical 256 #12,522
1901 historical 95 #23,462
1911 historical 154 #17,553
1997 modern 215 #16,844
1998 modern 232 #16,508
1999 modern 225 #16,931
2000 modern 229 #16,695
2001 modern 218 #17,017
2002 modern 228 #16,828
2003 modern 244 #15,861
2004 modern 262 #15,233
2005 modern 276 #14,579
2006 modern 302 #13,863
2007 modern 317 #13,532
2008 modern 315 #13,686
2009 modern 334 #13,409
2010 modern 363 #12,878
2011 modern 345 #13,221
2012 modern 324 #13,751
2013 modern 344 #13,349
2014 modern 357 #13,068
2015 modern 357 #12,979
2016 modern 370 #12,591

Geography

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Where Geralds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Lambeth and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Birmingham, Westminster and Waltham Forest. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Birmingham 041 Birmingham
2 Westminster 004 Westminster
3 Birmingham 031 Birmingham
4 Waltham Forest 013 Waltham Forest
5 Westminster 005 Westminster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gerald

These lists show first names that appear often with the Gerald surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gerald

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gerald, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Gerald surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Gerald household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Gerald is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gerald is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gerald falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gerald is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with Gerald, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Gerald

The surname Gerald originates from the medieval English and French forms of the Germanic name Gerard, which is derived from the elements "gair" meaning "spear" and "hard" meaning "brave" or "hardy." The name is thought to have first emerged in Normandy, France, during the 11th century.

Gerald is considered a Norman surname, brought to England by the Norman Conquest in 1066. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners in England after the Norman Conquest. Examples of similar spellings from this period include Gerold, Geraud, and Geraldus.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Gerald was William FitzGerald, who lived in the late 12th century and was a prominent Anglo-Norman nobleman in Ireland. He was a direct descendant of Otho, an ancestor who accompanied William the Conqueror to England in 1066.

Another notable figure was Gerald of Wales, born around 1146, who was a medieval chronicler, ecclesiastic, and one of the most influential writers of his time. His works provide valuable insights into the medieval world and the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland.

In the 13th century, the surname Gerald was associated with places such as Geraldton in Pembrokeshire, Wales, and Geraldine in County Kilkenny, Ireland. These place names likely derived from the surname itself.

Sir Thomas Gerald, born in the late 15th century, was an English politician and military commander who served as Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire during the reign of Henry VIII.

Cardinal John Gerald, born in 1456 in Normandy, was a prominent figure in the Catholic Church and served as the Archbishop of York from 1501 until his death in 1521.

The surname Gerald has also been associated with various noble families throughout history, including the FitzGeralds of Ireland, the Gerards of Lancashire, and the Geraldines of Worcestershire, England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gerald families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gerald surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 10 Geralds recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.34x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 10 2.34x
Middlesex 10 2.77x
Surrey 5 2.84x
Warwickshire 4 4.40x
Aberdeenshire 3 8.98x
Gloucestershire 2 2.83x
Cheshire 1 1.26x
Norfolk 1 1.80x
Worcestershire 1 2.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 7 Geralds recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.92x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 7 26.92x
Kenilworth 4 784.31x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 3 48.00x
Lambeth 3 9.54x
Cheltenham 2 36.63x
Paddington London 2 15.07x
St George Hanover Square 2 31.45x
St Marylebone London 2 10.38x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 10.68x
Barton Upon Irwell 1 31.06x
Battersea 1 7.53x
Great Yarmouth 1 21.74x
Islington London 1 2.86x
Kidderminster Foreign 1 149.25x
St Clement Danes London 1 133.33x
St Pancras London 1 3.44x
Tranmere 1 34.13x
Walton On Thames 1 123.46x
West Derby 1 7.98x
Whitechapel London 1 28.09x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Gerald surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 4
Emma 2
Alice 1
Annie 1
C.E.L. 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Ernestine 1
Georgina 1
Louisa 1
M.A.L. 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Vila 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Gerald surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
James 2
John 2
William 2
Arthur 1
G.F. 1
George 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Joseph 1
Shafto 1
Thomas 1
Wm. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Gerald households.

FAQ

Gerald surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gerald surname in 1881?

In 1881, 38 people were recorded with the Gerald surname. That placed it at #28,285 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gerald surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 370 in 2016. That gives Gerald a modern rank of #12,591.

What does the Gerald surname mean?

An Old Germanic name derived from the elements "ger" (spear) and "wald" (rule), indicating a spear ruler or mighty spearman.

What does the Gerald map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Gerald bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.