Gere History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The Gere surname is thought to have derived from an Old Norse personal name Ivarr of uncertain origin. It became a given name in Ireland, Scotland and Wales before becoming a hereditary surname.

Early Origins of the Gere family

The surname Gere was first found in Dumbartonshire. The first on record was "Douenaldus filius Makbeth mac Ywar was one of the perambulators of the boundary between the lands of Arnbroath Abbey and the barony of Kynblathmund, 1219." [1]

Early History of the Gere family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gere research. Another 296 words (21 lines of text) covering the years 1292, 1479, 1488, 1499, 1541, 1562, 1563, 1621, 1622, 1638, 1640, 1644, 1659, 1890 and 1931 are included under the topic Early Gere History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gere Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: MacIver, MacIvor, MacCure, MacEure, MacUre and many more.

Early Notables of the Gere family

Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gere Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gere family to Ireland

Some of the Gere family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gere migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gere Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

George Gere, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1635 [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Gere (post 1700) +

Richard Tiffany Gere (b. 1949), American actor. He first became famous during the 1980s, after appearing in several successful Hollywood films, including "An Officer and a Gentleman", and has since retained his status as a leading man. People magazine named him the "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1999
Charlie Gere, British academic of Lancaster University

The Gere Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Numquam obliviscar
Motto Translation: I will never forget.

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)