NameCensus.

UK surname

Gerrard

Derived from the Germanic name "Gerard," meaning "brave" or "strong spear."

In the 1881 census there were 3,826 people recorded with the Gerrard surname, ranking it #1,193 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,265, ranked #1,286, down from #1,193 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Aberdour and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire West and Chester, Wigan and Bolton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gerrard is 5,547 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.6%.

1881 census count

3,826

Ranked #1,193

Modern count

5,265

2016, ranked #1,286

Peak year

1999

5,547 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gerrard had 3,826 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,193 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,265 in 2016, ranked #1,286.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,721 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Gerrard surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gerrard surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Gerrard 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 2,136 #1,363
1861 historical 2,113 #1,375
1881 historical 3,826 #1,193
1891 historical 3,862 #1,238
1901 historical 4,721 #1,195
1911 historical 4,529 #1,138
1997 modern 5,250 #1,242
1998 modern 5,458 #1,241
1999 modern 5,547 #1,234
2000 modern 5,486 #1,244
2001 modern 5,403 #1,234
2002 modern 5,498 #1,242
2003 modern 5,432 #1,221
2004 modern 5,418 #1,225
2005 modern 5,297 #1,234
2006 modern 5,255 #1,241
2007 modern 5,234 #1,254
2008 modern 5,296 #1,251
2009 modern 5,406 #1,256
2010 modern 5,496 #1,261
2011 modern 5,384 #1,275
2012 modern 5,272 #1,270
2013 modern 5,347 #1,278
2014 modern 5,357 #1,284
2015 modern 5,298 #1,283
2016 modern 5,265 #1,286

Geography

Back to top

Where Gerrards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Aberdour, Wigan, Dean and Leigh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire West and Chester, Wigan, Bolton, St. Helens and Derbyshire Dales. 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 3
2 Aberdour Aberdeen
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 Dean Lancashire
5 Leigh Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire West and Chester 019 Cheshire West and Chester
2 Wigan 023 Wigan
3 Bolton 028 Bolton
4 St. Helens 020 St. Helens
5 Derbyshire Dales 008 Derbyshire Dales

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Gerrard

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Gerrard

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gerrard, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Gerrard surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Gerrard household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Gerrard is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gerrard is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gerrard falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gerrard is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Gerrard

The surname Gerrard originated in England, derived from the personal name Gerard, which itself has Germanic roots. The name Gerard is composed of the elements "gar" meaning "spear" and "hard" meaning "brave" or "hardy." It was introduced into Britain by the Normans after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

Gerrard is a variant spelling of the more common Gerard, with the double "r" likely arising from regional pronunciation differences. The name can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners and tenants in England following the Norman invasion. Several entries mention individuals with the name Gerard or a similar spelling.

In the 12th century, a notable bearer of the name was Gerard de Camville, a Norman nobleman who served as Sheriff of Lincolnshire and was involved in the rebellion against King Stephen. Another early example is Gerard de Furnivall, who lived in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and was a prominent landowner in Yorkshire.

During the Middle Ages, the surname was often associated with places or towns, leading to variants like Gerard of Wigan or Gerard of Winwick. Over time, these locational surnames evolved into fixed family names, such as Gerrard.

One famous bearer of the Gerrard surname was Sir John Gerrard, born around 1516, who served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland under Queen Elizabeth I. Another notable figure was Marcus Gerrard, a 17th-century English traveler and author who wrote accounts of his journeys to the West Indies and Virginia.

In the literary world, Alexander Gerrard, born in 1628, was a Scottish poet and minister best known for his work "An Apology for the Service of Love." Meanwhile, Samuel Gerrard, born in 1637, was an English botanist and surgeon who contributed significantly to the study of plant life in the 17th century.

The Gerrard surname has also been associated with several notable places, such as Gerard's Cross in Buckinghamshire, England, which is believed to have derived its name from an early bearer of the surname who owned land in the area.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Gerrard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gerrard 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 1,880 Gerrards recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.24x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,880 4.24x
Cheshire 371 4.50x
Aberdeenshire 291 8.42x
Middlesex 245 0.66x
Staffordshire 138 1.10x
Surrey 96 0.53x
Dorset 89 3.63x
Derbyshire 67 1.15x
Yorkshire 50 0.14x
Banffshire 47 6.07x
Somerset 43 0.72x
Angus 41 1.19x
Midlothian 41 0.82x
Lanarkshire 36 0.30x
Fife 35 1.58x
Hampshire 28 0.37x
Wiltshire 25 0.76x
Worcestershire 24 0.49x
Durham 21 0.19x
Kent 20 0.16x
Warwickshire 17 0.18x
Stirlingshire 16 1.16x
Anglesey 14 2.12x
Denbighshire 14 0.99x
Essex 14 0.19x
Devon 13 0.17x
Gloucestershire 13 0.18x
Sussex 13 0.21x
Buckinghamshire 11 0.49x
Morayshire 11 1.90x
Selkirkshire 9 2.66x
Kincardineshire 8 1.76x
Ayrshire 7 0.25x
Berwickshire 7 1.55x
Cumberland 7 0.22x
Flintshire 7 0.70x
Orkney 7 1.70x
Channel Islands 6 0.54x
Glamorgan 6 0.09x
Leicestershire 6 0.15x
Northumberland 6 0.11x
Caernarfonshire 5 0.33x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.08x
Inverness-shire 3 0.27x
Renfrewshire 3 0.10x
Berkshire 2 0.07x
Herefordshire 2 0.13x
West Lothian 2 0.36x
Cornwall 1 0.02x
East Lothian 1 0.20x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.19x
Lincolnshire 1 0.02x
Perthshire 1 0.06x
Shropshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hindley in Lancashire leads with 114 Gerrards recorded in 1881 and an index of 60.36x.

Place Total Index
Hindley 114 60.36x
Westhoughton 68 57.52x
Aberdour 66 242.29x
Wigan 65 10.50x
Liverpool 63 2.34x
Ince In Makerfield 58 28.14x
West Derby 57 4.40x
Preston 55 4.64x
Sutton 53 35.67x
Islington London 50 1.38x
Farnworth 47 17.71x
Atherton 45 27.91x
Great Boughton 45 158.39x
Little Bolton 45 7.90x
St Pancras London 43 1.43x
Aspull 41 39.35x
Birkenhead 40 6.09x
Great Bolton 39 6.65x
Windle 38 15.25x
Chester St Mary On Hill 37 52.34x
Aberdeen Old Machar 35 4.85x
Salford 35 2.69x
Bedford 34 36.69x
Westleigh 33 32.80x
Widnes 33 10.33x
Blackburn 32 2.72x
Kirkdale 32 4.29x
Walton Le Dale 32 26.88x
Chideock 28 324.45x
Pemberton 28 15.85x
Manchester 27 1.36x
Poulton Barre 25 49.60x
Bury 24 4.74x
Newington 24 1.74x
Uttoxeter 24 37.20x
Weaverham Cum Milton 24 110.14x
Toxteth Park 23 1.53x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 23 18.04x
Camberwell 22 0.92x
Christleton Littleton 22 185.19x
Eccleston In Prescot 22 9.89x
Kearsley 22 23.60x
Ormskirk 22 25.96x
Warrington 22 4.19x
Abram 21 61.78x
Barton Upon Irwell 21 6.30x
Barony 20 0.65x
Whiston 20 57.89x
Fyvie 19 33.68x
Cuddington In Northwich 18 345.49x
Halliwell 18 11.16x
Sharples 17 35.38x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 16 0.80x
Falkirk 16 4.96x
Garston 16 12.24x
Hulme 16 1.73x
Mellor 16 100.76x
Pendleton In Salford 16 3.03x
Tranmere 16 5.28x
Banff 15 22.30x
Barrow In Furness 15 2.49x
Battersea 15 1.09x
Frome 15 10.44x
Gamrie 15 17.35x
Turriff 15 26.88x
Ashton In Makerfield 14 11.10x
Astley 14 40.97x
Gorton 14 3.36x
Great Crosby 14 11.59x
Hammersmith London 14 1.52x
Heaton 14 74.95x
Pennington In Leigh 14 16.47x
Wortley In Bramley 14 4.78x
Bethnal Green London 13 0.80x
Fraserburgh 13 13.36x
Kingsley 13 84.64x
North Meols 13 3.00x
St George Hanover Square 13 1.98x
Strichen 13 43.28x
Worsley 13 4.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 252
Elizabeth 143
Sarah 112
Ann 97
Jane 95
Margaret 82
Ellen 79
Alice 73
Annie 59
Emma 42
Martha 42
Hannah 41
Eliza 38
Emily 22
Louisa 19
Ada 18
Harriet 18
Maria 17
Frances 15
Catherine 14
Anne 12
Betty 12
Edith 12
Esther 12
Amelia 11
Caroline 11
Charlotte 11
Clara 11
Agnes 10
Minnie 10
Elizth. 9
Fanny 9
Florence 9
Isabella 9
Eleanor 8
Kate 8
Betsy 7
Jessie 7
Lucy 7
Margt. 7
Rachel 7
Amy 6
Matilda 6
Rebecca 6
Susannah 6
Anna 5
Susan 5
Harriett 4
Maggie 4
Nancy 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 220
William 195
Thomas 139
James 127
Joseph 80
George 78
Henry 68
Charles 44
Edward 43
Samuel 43
Richard 42
Robert 35
Peter 24
Arthur 22
Alfred 21
Walter 20
Frederick 17
Harry 15
Frank 13
Wm. 13
Edwin 11
Ernest 11
David 10
Albert 9
Miles 8
Thos. 8
Fred 7
Francis 6
Herbert 6
Ralph 6
Adam 5
Alexander 5
Archibald 5
Geo. 5
Paul 5
Edmund 4
Jas. 4
Jno. 4
Michael 4
Daniel 3
Earnest 3
Enoch 3
Frederic 3
Isaac 3
Jesse 3
Jonathan 3
Matthew 3
Philip 3
Richd. 3
Willm. 3

FAQ

Gerrard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gerrard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,826 people were recorded with the Gerrard surname. That placed it at #1,193 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gerrard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,265 in 2016. That gives Gerrard a modern rank of #1,286.

What does the Gerrard surname mean?

Derived from the Germanic name "Gerard," meaning "brave" or "strong spear."

What does the Gerrard map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Gerrard 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.