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Gerrish Family History

Gerrish Surname Meaning

English (southwestern): nickname for an unpredictable wayward person from Middle English gerysshe ‘wild changeable’.

Americanized form of German Gerisch 1 or 2 and of Sorbian Geriš and Gěriš or their Germanized form Gerisch.

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


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Where is the Gerrish family from?

You can see how Gerrish families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gerrish family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gerrish families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 188 Gerrish families living in Wiltshire. This was about 25% of all the recorded Gerrish's in United Kingdom. Wiltshire had the highest population of Gerrish families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gerrish 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 Gerrish ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Dairy Farmer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Gerrish. 8% of Gerrish men worked as a Dairy Farmer and 76% of Gerrish women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gerrish were Incapacitated and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Gerrish | 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 Male Occupations In 1939

  • Dairy Farmer
    8%
  • Dock Labourer
    8%
  • General Labourer
    6%
  • Incapacitated
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    76%
  • Domestic Duties Unpaid
    3%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%

What Gerrish family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 22,000 census records available for the last name Gerrish. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gerrish census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gerrish

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Gerrish. 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 Gerrish immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Gerrish. For the veterans among your Gerrish ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gerrish military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gerrish family history

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What is the average Gerrish lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Gerrish life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1951, and highest in 1983. The average life expectancy for Gerrish in 1951 was 27, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gerrish

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gerrish 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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