Gerlach History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany-Alt
Germany

Early Origins of the Gerlach family

The surname Gerlach was first found in Dresden, where the name contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation which would later play a large role in the tribal and national conflicts of the area. In later years the name branched into many houses, each playing a significant role in the local social and political affairs.

One of the most famous of the family was Saint Gerlach (Gerlache, Gerlac, Gerlachus van Houthem, Gerlac of Valkenberg) (d. c. 1170 AD) was a Dutch hermit who lived near Valkenburg in Limburg. Originally a soldier, Gerlache became a pious Christian upon the death of his wife and went on pilgrimage to Rome and Jerusalem. In Rome, he nursed the sick for seven years and accordingly to legend, he transformed local well water into wine three times as a sign that his sins had been forgiven. Later, Jacob von Gerlach received his Knighthood from King Sigismund in 1435.

Early History of the Gerlach family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gerlach research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1838 and 1861 are included under the topic Early Gerlach History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gerlach Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Gerlach, Gerlache, Gerlich, Gerlack, Gerlag and others.

Early Notables of the Gerlach family

Prominent bearers of the family name Gerlach at this time were

Leopold von Gerlach (d. 1861), who was a lieutenant general in the Prussian army

Gerlach Ranking

In the United States, the name Gerlach is the 5,496^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Gerlach migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gerlach Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Conrad Gerlach, with his wife and four children, who arrived in America in 1709
Johann Christian Gerlach, who arrived in New York in 1709 2
Peter Gerlach, who landed in New Jersey in 1709 2
Johann Christ Gerlach, who landed in New York, NY in 1710 2
Johann Christopher Gerlach, who settled in New York State in 1710-11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gerlach Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

C Christ Gerlach, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1802 2
Ferdinand Gerlach, who landed in New York in 1834 2
Uhleric Gerlach, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1837 2
John Gerlach, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1848 2
Henry Gerlach, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1848 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Gerlach (post 1700) +

Charles Lewis Gerlach (1895-1947), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania (1945-1947) and (1939-1945)
Carl R. Gerlach, American politician, Mayor of Overland Park, Kansas (2005-)
Jim Gerlach (b. 1955), American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania (2003-2015)
Kurt Albert Gerlach (1886-1922), German sociologist
Otto von Gerlach (1801-1849), German theologian and pastor
Carl Gotthelf Gerlach (1704-1761), German organist
Walther Gerlach (1889-1979), German atomic physicist who co-discovered the Stern-Gerlach effect
Manfred Gerlach (b. 1928), co-founder of the former East German youth movement ("Freie Deutsche Jugen"), mayor of Leipzig (1950-53) and member of the Central Committee (1949-59)
Karl Friedrich Otto von Gerlach (1801-1849), German theologian and pastor
Manfred Gerlach (b. 1928), former East German politician, Chairman of the Council of State of East Germany (1989-1990)
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Gerlach family +

Bismarck

Heinrich Gerlach (1919-1941), German Matrosenobergefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 3

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details