2000
#2,717
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,168
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.51
Uncommon Last name
Geary
Derived from the Irish surname Ó Gadhra, meaning "descendant of Gadhra," a personal name of uncertain origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,513 Americans carry the last name Geary. That puts it at #2,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,365 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Geary surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Geary with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 25,365
Census rank
#2,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,784 bearers of the surname Geary in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Geary, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Geary
The surname Geary has its origins in Ireland and is derived from the Irish Gaelic name 'O Gadhra', which means 'descendant of the goat-keeper'. It is believed that the name originated in County Sligo, where the name was prominent among the Connacht dynasty that ruled the region during the Middle Ages.
The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 13th century, where it appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle compiled by Franciscan scholars in the 17th century. The name is also found in the Pipe Rolls of County Sligo from the 14th century, indicating its widespread use in the region during that time.
As the name spread across Ireland, various spellings emerged, including Geary, Gearie, Gearey, and Gearry. Some of these variations were influenced by the Anglicization of Irish names during the English conquest of Ireland in the 16th and 17th centuries.
One notable historical figure with the surname Geary was Edmond Geary (1586-1637), an Irish Catholic priest who was executed during the English Reformation for his refusal to renounce his faith. Another was Sir Francis Geary (1810-1896), a British military officer who served in the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
The name also has a strong connection to the city of Cork, where a prominent family of merchants and landowners known as the Gearys rose to prominence in the 18th and 19th centuries. One member of this family, John Geary (1794-1873), was a successful businessman and philanthropist who played a significant role in the development of Cork's infrastructure and public works.
In the United States, the name Geary became associated with John White Geary (1819-1873), a politician and military leader who served as the Governor of Pennsylvania and as a Union general during the American Civil War. Another notable American with the surname was John Geary (1888-1958), a labor leader and one of the founding members of the American Federation of Labor.
Throughout history, the surname Geary has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including clergymen, military personnel, businessmen, and political figures, reflecting its deep roots and widespread presence across Ireland and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Geary
Among Census respondents with the surname Geary, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Geary bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Geary surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 10,466
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 434
- Two or more races3.4% · 395
- Black or African American2.6% · 312
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 90
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 87
Timeline
Historical Census data for Geary
Geary appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,895
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,382
+214 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 4.20
Rank movement Down 178 places
2020
#2,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,784
-598 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 3.94
Rank movement Down 94 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,717 | 12,168 | 4.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,895 | 12,382 | 4.20 | +214 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 178 places |
| 2020 | #2,989 | 11,784 | 3.94 | -598 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 94 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Geary surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,895 | #2,989 | -3.2% |
| Count | 12,382 | 11,784 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 4.20 | 3.94 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Geary bearers went from 12,382 to 11,784 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 94 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,895 to #2,989.
FAQ
Geary surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Geary?
Name Census estimates that about 13,513 living Americans carry the surname Geary. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,365 residents.
How common is Geary?
Geary ranks #2,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,784 people with the surname Geary. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,513), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Geary.
Has Geary become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Geary went from 12,382 recorded bearers to 11,784. That is a decrease of 598 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,895 to #2,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Geary?
Among Census respondents with the surname Geary, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Geary in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (10,466 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Geary appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Geary (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Geary mean?
Derived from the Irish surname Ó Gadhra, meaning "descendant of Gadhra," a personal name of uncertain origin. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Geary (3.94 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Geary?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.