Show ContentsGiesbrecht History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished German surname Giesbrecht is derived from the old Germanic personal name "Gieselbrecht," which was itself derived from the Old High German "gisel," meaning "noble offspring," and "beraht," meaning "shining."

Early Origins of the Giesbrecht family

The surname Giesbrecht was first found in northern German and the Low Countries, where the personal name "Gieselbrecht" was most popular. The first known bearer of Giesbrecht as a surname was Petrus Giselbrecht, who was a resident of Basel in 1291. The young Giesbrecht family was instrumental during this early period, playing a major role in the development of medieval German society.

Early History of the Giesbrecht family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Giesbrecht research. Another 117 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1291, 1440, 1492, 1814 and 1889 are included under the topic Early Giesbrecht History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Giesbrecht Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Giesbrecht, Gieselbrecht, Giesebrecht, Giesselbrecht, Giese, Giesecke, Gysbrecht, Giesbreck, Giesebreck and many more.

Early Notables of the Giesbrecht family

More information is included under the topic Early Giesbrecht Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Giesbrecht Ranking

In Canada, the name Giesbrecht is the 562nd most popular surname with an estimated 8,738 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Giesbrecht family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Johann Wilhelm Giesecke and his wife Ernestine Spangenberg, who came to Texas in 1846 with their four children, Agatha Giesbrecht, who emigrated from Hamburg to Qué.


Contemporary Notables of the name Giesbrecht (post 1700) +

  • Klaus Giesbrecht (b. 1975), German professional footballer
  • Gordon Grant Giesbrecht, Canadian physiologist at the Laboratory for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at the University of Manitoba in Manitoba, Canada
  • Helmut Giesbrecht (b. 1943), Ukrainian-born, Canadian educator and former politician in British Columbia who represented Skeena in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1991 to 2001
  • Wilhelm Giesbrecht (1854-1913), Prussian zoologist, specialising in copepods
  • Marnie Giesbrecht, well-known Canadian organist
  • Mark Giesbrecht, associate professor and director of undergraduate studies at the University of Waterloo


  1. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames


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