Surname Gerking - Meaning and Origin
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Gerking: What does the surname Gerking mean?
The last name Gerking is of Germanic origin and is derived from a given name that was popular in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the word 'Gerko' which means 'spear'. 'Gerk' is another variant of the same name.
The most likely origin of the last name Gerking is that it is derived from the personal name Geric, which is an ancient Germanic name meaning “ruler or warrior”, possibly referring to a leader with a powerful presence.
The spelling of the name has changed over the centuries, but the surname Gerking has been found in the records of several families in Germany and other German-speaking parts of Europe since the 1300s.
The variations of this last name also include Gerkingen, Girkin, Gierkin, Gerkin, Gerkens, Girkens, Gerckens, Gercke, Gerke, Gajek, Gerker, Gerken, Gerke, and Gerk.
The name Gerking is quite rare today; there were only 73 people with this last name recorded in the 2000 US census. Most of these people resided in the US states of Pennsylvania and Ohio. In modern times, the last name Gerking is still found primarily among descendants of German immigrants, and in German-speaking countries around the world.
Order DNA origin analysisGerking: Where does the name Gerking come from?
The last name Gerking is most common today in northern Germany, especially in the state of Niedersachsen. It's also found in other regions of the country, along with parts of the Netherlands, Denmark, and Belgium. The name has been carried over to other countries, with small clusters of Gerking families found in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Gerking is a surname of Germanic origin, meaning a person who harvested grain. It derives from the Middle High German ‘gerching’, which itself is derived from the Old High German ‘garching’. The name is thought to originate from an Old High German name 'Garnicho', which took on its modern form in the late Middle Ages.
Though the Gerking surname first developed in northern Germany, its popularity eventually spread beyond that region to other parts of Germany and Europe. As mentioned before, the name is now found in a number of other countries around the world, thanks to immigration and globalization.
Though some spelling variations (such as Gerkin, Gerking, Garhingen, Gerkens, Gerkensmeier, and Gerkenmeier) have emerged over time, the Gerking spelling is the most common in almost all regions today.
Variations of the surname Gerking
The surname Gerking is of Germanic origin, derived from the Germanic personal name Gering, which is an occupational surname meaning "miner". Variants and spellings of the surname include Gerring, Gerwing, and Gervening.
Within English-speaking countries, the surname has evolved into other names such as Garrison, Garren, Gerrard, Gerhard, and German. These variants are usually found in English-speaking countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States.
In German-speaking countries, the surname has been altered to suit the language and there are even more variants that have emerged from the original Gerking. Variants and spellings include Gerkens, Gerkers, Gerkings, Gerkert, Gerkerssin, Gerkeman, and Gerkmann.
The surname has also been influenced by culture and language and has taken different forms in other languages. In Slavic countries, the surnames Gerkinson, Jerkings, Jerkoviak, Yerkovich, Georkien, Gerkas, Jerkevich, and Jirkovsky are all variants of Gerking.
Other variants that can be found include Gerkensson, Gerkensen, Gerkins, Gerkiston, Gerkisson, Gerkinsen, Gerkissen, and Gerkassen.
In some cases, the spelling has been altered to reflect the pronunciation of the surname in the corresponding language and may appear as Gerkinge, Gürkings, Gàrking, Gierkings, and Gyerking, to name a few.
Famous people with the name Gerking
- Jason Gerking: an American professional baseball pitcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in Major League Baseball from 2006 to 2011.
- John Gerking: a prominent American physician who was the director of the Division of Allergy at the University of Colorado from 1966 to 1991.
- Jake Gerking: an American former Major League Baseball third baseman who played for the Baltimore Orioles from 1993 to 1995.
- Gary Gerking: a retired American professional basketball player who had a brief stint in the NBA with the Denver Nuggets during the 1985–86 season.
- J. Michael Gerking: a retired Canadian ice hockey player who appeared in two NHL games for the Edmonton Oilers during the 1995 season.
- Susan Gerking: an American attorney and former legal advisor to the United States Senate Committees on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee.
- Jeffrey Gerking: an American attorney and the former Chief Legal Officer of the United States Air Force.
- Harold Gerking: a United States Army officer who was awarded the Medal of Honor during World War II.
- Francis Gerking: an American historian who wrote extensively on the American Revolution and Early American history.
- Ruth Gerking: an American artist known for her figurative oil paintings.