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Gerard History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Gerard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The historic kingdom of Bohemia, enclosed by mountains and the celebrated Bohemian forest, is the noble birthplace of the name Gerard.German surnames developed at a time when most of Bohemia, and most of the German provinces, were states of the Holy Roman Empire. Fairly general principles guided the development of hereditary surnames in Bohemia. Two of the common types of family names found in the Prussia are patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. The surname Gerard derived from the Old German personal name Gerhard, which means spear-brave.

Early Origins of the Gerard family

The surname Gerard was first found in Bohemia, where the name came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates, some in foreign countries, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society.

Early History of the Gerard family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gerard research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1582, 1607, 1629, 1637, 1676, 1698, 1726, 1736 and 1765 are included under the topic Early Gerard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gerard Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Gerhardt, Gearhart, Gearhardt, Gerhart, Gearhard, Gerhard, Gerheart, Gearheart, Gerard and many more.

Early Notables of the Gerard family

During this early period, notable bearers of the name Gerard included Johann Gerhard (1582-1637), the most famous Lutheran theologian of the time; Daniel Gerdes (1698-1765), German Calvinist theologian and historian...
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gerard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gerard Ranking

In the United States, the name Gerard is the 3,956^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Gerard is ranked the 53^rd most popular surname with an estimated 40,467 people with that name. 2

Gerard migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gerard Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. Richard Gerard, (1613 - 1686), who left England and arrived in Maryland in 1634 aboard the ship "Ark and Dove" 3
Jon Gerard, who landed in Virginia in 1634 3
Winifred Gerard, who arrived in Maryland in 1658 3
John Gerard, who arrived in Maryland in 1662 3
Robert Gerard, who landed in Maryland in 1664 3

Gerard Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Hans Peter Gerard, who arrived in New York in 1709 3
Jean Gerard, who arrived in Louisiana in 1718 3
Nicolas Gerard, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1736 3
Francois Gerard, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1764 3
Peter Gerard, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1767 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gerard Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Alexander Gerard, who arrived in Virginia in 1808 3
Peter Gerard, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1826 3
James Gerard, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1840 3
Robert Gerard, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1860 3
Sylvestre Gerard, aged 32, who arrived in New York, NY in 1872 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gerard migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Gerard Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Francois Gerard, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Agamemnon" on April 22, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia 4

Gerard migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Gerard Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Alexander Gerard, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Strathfieldsaye" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 29th April 1858 5
Mrs. Gerard, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Strathfieldsaye" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 29th April 1858 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Gerard (post 1700) +

James Watson Gerard (1867-1951), American lawyer and diplomat
Francis R. Gerard, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II, credited with 8 aerial victories
Yves René-Jean Gérard (1932-2020), French musicologist
Gilbert Gerard (1760-1815), Scottish theological writer, son of Alexander Gerard, D.D
Alexander Gerard (1792-1839), Scottish-born, Himalayan explorer, son of Gilbert Gerard, D.D. [q. v.], grandson of Alexander Gerard, D.D. [q. v.]
Colonel William Cansfield Gerard DSO (b. 1851), 2nd Baron Gerard, a British Army officer and nobleman
Étienne Maurice Gérard, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 6
François-Joseph Gérard, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 7
Alexander Gerard (1728-1795), British philosophical writer, eponym of the lunar Gerard crater
William Gerard, Australian industrialist
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Agamemnon voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1820 with 179 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/agamemnon/1820
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, March 6) Étienne Gérard. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, March 6) François-Joseph Gérard. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html