In the ongoing battle between geek and nerd, one must take sides, but how can this be done without a solid argument for both personas? Masters In IT decided that it’s time to lay all the cards on the table to determine which is better and answer the question some fear to know: Are you a geek, or a nerd?

Nerd: This term was coined from Dr. Seuss in 1954 in a line that read “A nerkle, a nerd, and a seersucker too!” – So really nerkle and seersucker are synonymous with nerd

Geek: While used as a derogatory term originally, the word “geek” gained popularity in the circus. Circus performers that performed amazing feats were Geeks

Factoids/Stats:
- 17% of Americans identify as geeks
- 65% of video game designers identify as geeks
- 50% of technology engineers identify as geeks
- 37% of bloggers identify as geeks
- 87% of people prefer the word “geek” over “nerd”
- 66% of millennials think “geek” is a compliment
- 45% of people believe geeks are early adopters
- 31% of people believe geeks have a higher chance of being successful
- On average, self-identifed geeks have a better view of themselves than others view geeks
- 41% of people would be comfortable called a geek while only 24% would be comfortable called a nerd
- A geek would rather be called a geek over a hipster (23% are OK with being called hipster while 41% are OK with being called a geek)