Given name
Gershom
“exile”·“sojourner”·“a stranger there”
Gershom is used as a given name. Interpretations include “exile” (Hebrew), “sojourner” (Hebrew), and “a stranger there” (Hebrew). Other interpretations also occur. These may reflect different naming traditions.
Original Hebrewגרשם
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “exile” (Hebrew), “sojourner” (Hebrew), and “a stranger there” (Hebrew). Other interpretations also occur. These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Hebrew, although the derivation remains uncertain.
The story
The name appears in biblical tradition, giving it a longstanding religious and cultural context.
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Gershom appears in 1 Chronicles 6:16, Genesis 46:11, Numbers 3:21.
- 1 Chronicles 6:16
- Genesis 46:11
- Numbers 3:21
From biblical name research
Gershom through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 212
- 212 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2006
- 12 babies
- 2025
- 5
- #12,666 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +100%
- Rising fast
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 5 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 12,666 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for boys was 12 in 2006. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 294 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Gershom’s family of names
In English usage, Gershom has a conventional equivalent in the Portuguese form GERSON. Gershom has a related form in Gershon. Gershom has a related form in Gersh.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 10
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Gershonvariant
- Gerzsonvariant
- Gershevariant
- Gershvariant
- Gershumvariant
- Gershymvariant
- Gershimvariant
- Gershemvariant
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Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 9
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
- Samuelshares a root
- Shemshares a root
- Tigrisshares a root
- Hagarshares a root
- Jagurshares a root
- Shemidashares a root
- Gurshares a root
- Gethershares a root
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People named Gershom
- Gershom ScholemGerman-Israeli philosopher (1897–1982)
- Gershom ben Judahrabbi961–1028
- Gershom SchockenIsraeli journalist and politician1912–1990
- Gershom CarmichaelScottish philosopher1672–1729
- Gershom LevyIsraeli arachnologist (1937-2009)
- Gershom GorenbergIsraeli historian and writerborn 2000
- Gershom CoxEnglish footballer (1863-1918)
- Gershom BaderJewish writer (1868–1953)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
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