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Gerald Family History

Gerald Surname Meaning

English (of Norman origin); French (Gérald): from the ancient Germanic personal name Gerald Girald composed of the elements gēr ‘spear lance’ and wald ‘power authority’. It was introduced to Britain by the Normans and was fairly common but less so than Gerard with which it was early confused.

In France the much more common variants of this surname are Géraud and Giraud.

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


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Where is the Gerald family from?

You can see how Gerald families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gerald family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gerald families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 144 Gerald families living in London. This was about 47% of all the recorded Gerald's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Gerald families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gerald surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Gerald ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Gerald. 90% of Gerald women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Gerald | 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.

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    90%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    11%

What Gerald family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 25,000 census records available for the last name Gerald. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gerald census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gerald

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Gerald. 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 Gerald immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 7,000 military records available for the last name Gerald. For the veterans among your Gerald ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gerald military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gerald family history

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What is the average Gerald lifespan?

Between 1950 and 2004, in the United States, Gerald life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Gerald in 1950 was 55, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gerald

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gerald ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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