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Gerl Family History

Gerl Name Meaning

German: topographic name from the field name Girlet denoting a stand or copse of alders. South German: from a pet form of the personal name Gerhardt . Slovenian: nickname from an old vernacular spelling of dialect grlj ‘gnarl’ also ‘spruce branch used as a torchwood’. This is also a Germanized or Americanized form of the variants Grlj and Grl.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Garl, Gehl, Gero, Gerlt, Gell, Gera, Gere, Berl, Perl, Gerk

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Gerl family from?

You can see how Gerl families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gerl family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gerl families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 11 Gerl families living in Oxfordshire. This was about 48% of all the recorded Gerl's in United Kingdom. Oxfordshire had the highest population of Gerl families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gerl surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Gerl ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Gerl. 40% of Gerl men worked as a Laborer and 34% of Gerl women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gerl were Barber and Bookkeeper. .

View Census Data for Gerl | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    40%
  • Farmer
    32%
  • Carpenter
    12%
  • Barber
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    34%
  • Packer
    34%
  • Bookkeeper
    34%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Gerl family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Gerl. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gerl census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gerl

Passenger Lists

There are 522 immigration records available for the last name Gerl. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Gerl immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Gerl. For the veterans among your Gerl ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gerl military records

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What is the average Gerl lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Gerl life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1974, and highest in 1968. The average life expectancy for Gerl in 1958 was 50, and 84 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gerl

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