Surname Gerbach - Meaning and Origin
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Gerbach: What does the surname Gerbach mean?
The last name Gerbach is a German surname with several possible meanings. There are two possible origins of the name. The first is related to an ancient German word meaning "short," which may suggest the original bearer of the name was a short person. The second origin is thought to be derived from the German word "gerbrose," meaning "wayfarer," suggesting the original bearer was a traveler or moved from place to place.
Gerbach is mainly found in Germany, the Netherlands and the United States, and is quite common even today. It is among the top 500 surnames in Germany and the top 3000 in the USA.
The name Gerbach has a strong presence in the small town of Oberroedern, Germany, where its earliest known ancestor is believed to have come from. Documents also link the name to parts of the Netherlands as well as Austria during the 1600s and 1700s.
As a family name, Gerbach has existed for centuries and still carries the same meaning today as it did centuries ago. It is a strong German name that has been carried with pride by many generations.
Order DNA origin analysisGerbach: Where does the name Gerbach come from?
The last name Gerbach is primarily found in Germany and other parts of Europe today. It is a variant of the German word "Gerber," which means tanner. In Germany, the name is mostly concentrated in the states of Hesse and Baden-Württemberg, but it can also be found in Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate, as well as other regions.
Outsid of Germany, the last name Gerbach is much rarer, and is mainly found in Switzerland, Austria, and Luxembourg. There are also a small number of people who have the last name Gerbach living in the United States, Canada, and other English-speaking countries who likely have German ancestors.
Within Germany, the frequency of the last name Gerbach is not especially high compared to other German last names. Records indicate it is the 393rd most common last name overall, but it is more common in certain regions. In the state of Hesse, for example, it is the 120th most common last name.
The name first emerged in records in the mid-17th century, but its exact origin is uncertain. However, its association with the German word "Gerber" indicates it was likely originally adopted by someone who worked in the tanning industry.
Variations of the surname Gerbach
The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Gerbach include: Gerbach, Garbach, Garbacher, Garbich, Garbisch, Gearbach, Gerback, Gerbacher, Gerback, Gerberch, Gerbick, Gerbich, Gerbig, Gerbish, Gerbock, Gerbow, Gerbsch, Gerbusch, Gerbuch, Gerbusch, Goerbach, Goerberch, Gorbach, Gorbacher and Gorbich.
The first occurrence of the name Gerbach was in the German states of Hesse and Bavaria, particularly in areas such as Tyrol and Silesia.
The surname Gerbach is made up of two distinct elements: 'Ger' and 'Bach' referring to a stream in a wooded area. The suffix 'Bach' was very common in Germany, used to denote the place of residence of the person bearing this one-word surname.
In regions such as Germany, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia the surname Gerbach is an occupational name for a miller or a groom.
The variant spellings of Gerbach emerged as a result of regional pronunciation differences, the scribes' attempts to spell the name as pronounced in its local dialect, and adoption of other spellings by family members; it is equally likely that the spelling variants were adopted to make the surname easier to identify or distinguish between different branches of a same family.
The surname Gerbach is still found in Germany to this day and is mostly concentrated in the south-eastern regions around Bavaria and the Czech Republic.
Famous people with the name Gerbach
- Kevin Gerbach: German handball player
- Gail Gerbach: American film producer
- Yvonne Gerbach: Austrian actress
- Mark Gerbach: American musician and composer
- Danny Gerbach: Dutch singer and songwriter
- Heather Gerbach: American racecar driver
- Stephen Gerbach: German tenor
- Jack Gerbach: American ice-hockey player
- Bill Gerbach: American baseball player
- Howard Gerbach: Canadian basketball coach
- Robert Gerbach: American basketball coach
- Tomas Gerbach: Czechoslovakian football player
- Kerry Gerbach: American football player
- Richard Gerbach: German painter
- Malte Gerbach: German actor
- Charlie Gerbach: American sound engineer
- Truman Gerbach: American lawyer
- Christoph Gerbach: German tennis player
- Gernot Gerbach: German author
- John Gerbach: American film director & producer