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Gerrard History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Gerrard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Germany

The name Gerrard was spawned by the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture that ruled a majority of Britain. It comes from the son of Gerard. The surname Gerrard was originally derived from the Old German Gerhard which meant spear-brave. 1

Early Origins of the Gerrard family

The surname Gerrard was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where the Latin form Gerardus and Girardus were listed. 2 The Latin form prevailed into the next century when Gerardus was listed in Norfolk in 1134-1140, and in 1149-1162 in Lincolnshire. 1

Other early records include: John, Hugo Gerard in the Pipe Rolls for Northumberland in 1199; William Gerart in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1281; Henry Jerard in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1284; John Gerrard, Thomas Garard, and William Garrarde in Yorkshire in 1412, 1429 and 1458. 1

Gerard (died 21 May 1108), "Archbishop of York, was the nephew of Walkelin, bishop of Winchester, and his brother Simeon, abbot of Ely, and therefore, possibly, a distant kinsman of the Conqueror. He was precentor of the cathedral of Rouen, and afterwards a clerk of William Rufus's chapel and chancery. William dispatched him in 1095, in company with William of Warelwast, afterwards bishop of Exeter, to the papal court on a secret and delicate mission in connection with the dispute between the king and Anselm. The alleged object of their embassage was to investigate the claims of the two rival popes." 3

He was Lord Chancellor of England (1085-1092) appointed by William I, and later Archbishop of York (1100-1108.) He may have been with the king's hunting party when William II was killed, as he witnessed the first charter issued by the new king, Henry I of England, a few days later.

Windle with Hardshaw in Lancashire was home to the family in later years. "In the reign of Edward III., the manor was held under William Boteler by Peter de Burnhull, with whose heiress the Gerards acquired the property; and this latter family are the present lords. Windle Hall belongs to Sir John Gerard, Bart., at whose annual court lor the manor of Windle, officers are chosen for the township." 4

"Gerrard or Gerard is a very old Lancashire name. The Gerards of Bryn were lords of the manor of Brindle from the 14th to the 16th century: this distinguished family stands amongst the foremost of the Lancashire families, both in early and in more recent times, and received a baronetcy from James I." 5

"The Gerrards were an ancient and titled Cheshire family. The Lords Gerard of Gerards Bromley from the 16th to the 18th century were descended from the Gerards of Ince in Lancashire; the Gerards of Kingsley and Crewood came from Hawarden in Flintshire in the time of Edward I. " 5

Early History of the Gerrard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gerrard research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1177, 1545, 1555, 1559, 1564, 1581, 1587, 1593, 1601, 1611, 1613, 1617, 1618, 1622, 1634, 1640, 1641, 1650, 1659, 1660, 1661, 1667, 1670, 1680, 1683, 1685, 1687, 1689, 1694, 1700, 1701 and 1724 are included under the topic Early Gerrard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gerrard Spelling Variations

Gerrard has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Gerrard have been found, including Gerrard, Gerard, Jarrard, Jared, Garrad, Garred, Jarratt, Jarrett and many more.

Early Notables of the Gerrard family

Notables of the family at this time include John Gerard (Gerarde) (1545-1611), an English botanist and herbalist, who maintained a large herbal garden in London, eponym of the botanical genus Gerardia; Sir Gilbert Gerard (died 1593), a prominent lawyer, politician, and landowner who served six times as a member of the English parliament, Attorney-General (1559) Master of the Rolls (1581); Sir Thomas Gerard, 1st Baron Gerard (ca. 1564-1618); Gilbert Gerard, 2nd Baron Gerard (d. 1622); Dutton Gerard, 3rd Baron Gerard (1613-1640); Charles Gerard, 4th Baron Gerard (1634-1667); Sir Gilbert Gerard, 1st Baronet of Harrow on...
Another 95 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gerrard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gerrard Ranking

In the United States, the name Gerrard is the 17,336^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Gerrard migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Gerrards to arrive on North American shores:

Gerrard Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard Gerrard, who landed in Maryland in 1634 7
Thomas Gerrard, who arrived in Maryland in 1635 7
John Gerrard, who landed in Maryland in 1640 7
Gilbert Gerrard, who landed in Virginia in 1642 7
Gilbert Gerrard, who settled in Virginia in 1643
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gerrard Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Geo Gerrard, who landed in Virginia in 1717 7
Gerrard Gerrard, who arrived in Virginia in 1720 7
Nichols Gerrard, aged 30, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1736 7
Peter Gerrard, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 7
Abraham Gerrard, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gerrard Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Samuel Gerrard, who settled in Rhode Island in 1812 with his wife and their five children
Samuel Gerrard, aged 35, who landed in Rhode Island in 1812 7

Gerrard migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gerrard Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. William Gerrard U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 8
Mr. William Gerrard U.E. who settled in Carleton [Saint John City], New Brunswick c. 1784 8

Gerrard migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Gerrard Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. George Gerrard, (b. 1781), aged 34, English convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Fanny" on 25th August 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1819 9
Thomas Gerrard, English convict from Lancaster, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on September 3rd, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. John Gerrard, (b. 1796), aged 37, English convict who was convicted in Somerset, England for life for house breaking, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 27th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
Mr. James Gerrard, English convict who was convicted in Lancashire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "David Clarke" on 3rd June 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
David Gerrard, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Anson" on September 23, 1843, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gerrard migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Gerrard Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. James Gerrard, Cornish settler travelling from Launceston aboard the ship "Thomas Lord" arriving in New Zealand in 1849 14
Miss Mary Gerrard, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship 'Merchantman' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand and Auckland New Zealand on 6th September 1855 15
Mrs. Gerrard, Scottish settler travelling from Greenock aboard the ship "Robert Henderson" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 9th February 1858 14
A. Gerrard, Scottish settler travelling from Greenock aboard the ship "Robert Henderson" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 9th February 1858 14
Mr. Maurice L. Gerrard, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 18th August 1859 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gerrard migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 16

Gerrard Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Susan Gerrard, who arrived in Barbados in 1686

Contemporary Notables of the name Gerrard (post 1700) +

Steven George Gerrard MBE (b. 1980), English former footballer and now manager. He was the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year and won the Ballon d'Or Bronze Award in 2005. Appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2007. He was nominated in 2005 for BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award and came 3rd
Air Commodore Eugene Louis Gerrard CMG, DSO, RAF (1881-1963), English officer in the Royal Marines and Royal Air Force
Anthony Gerrard (b. 1986), English-born Irish footballer
Paul Gerrard (b. 1973), former English goalkeeper football player
Donny Gerrard (1946-2022), Canadian singer, member of the band Skylark in the early 1970s, lead singer on their hit single, "Wildflower"
Matthew Gerrard, Canadian record producer and songwriter
Mark Gerrard (b. 1982), Australian rugby player
Wes Paul Gerrard (b. 1943), Liverpool musician who worked at the Liverpool Cavern Club
Lisa Gerrard (b. 1961), the vocalist for the band Dead Can Dance
James Gerrard McCue (b. 1975), Scottish former professional footballer

Historic Events for the Gerrard family +

Empress of Ireland

Mr. Thomas Joseph Gerrard (d. 1914), British Smoke Room Steward from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 17

HMS Dorsetshire

Eric Nicholas Gerrard (d. 1945), British Leading Cook (O) aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 18

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1820 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1820
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd June 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/david-clarke
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anson voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1843 with 499 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anson/1843
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html