Gerner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The Gerner family name is linked to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from the baptismal name Garnier. 1 Baptismal names began to appear as surnames relatively late in the growth of the naming tradition. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the Old French word "gerner," or "gernier" which means a "storehouse for corn" or "keeper of the granary." 2 3

However, we should point out to the reader that Bardsley disagrees with this latter in his reference: "It has nothing to do with a granary, as suggested by Lower." He claims that the name could have also been originally an occupational name as in "the gardener," which was corrupted to Gardner and later Garner. 1

Early Origins of the Gerner family

The surname Gerner was first found in Rutland where the first record was found in the original Latin form, Garnerius de Nugent who was listed there 1170-1183. Later Geoffre Gerner was listed in the Feet of Fines of Essex in 1272 and Willam del Gerner was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332. 2

Warner or Garnier (fl. 1106), was an early writer of homilies and a monk of Westminster. He was present at the translation of the relics of St. Withburga, 1106. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 has only one listing of the family, Stephen Gemer who was listed as being in Lincolnshire at that time. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 lists Johannes Garner. The Lancashire Wills at Richmond list: Christopher Gardiner, or Garner in 1584; John Gardiner, or Garner, of Aldingham in the same year; and Christopher Garner, of Much Urswicke in 1575. 1

Early History of the Gerner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gerner research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1170, 1280, 1592, 1624, 1645, 1646, 1674, 1690, 1754, 1769, 1789, 1839, 1868 and 1906 are included under the topic Early Gerner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gerner Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Gerner include Garner, Garnier, Gerner and others.

Early Notables of the Gerner family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Adrian Garner, British sheriff who held the joint position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1645 to 1646. Thomas Gardner (c. 1592-1674) was an Overseer of the "old planters" party of the Dorchester Company who landed in 1624 at Cape Ann to form a colony at what is now known as Gloucester. Thomas Gardner (1690-1769) was an English antiquary from Ombersley, Worcestershire who was particularly interested in Dunwich in Suffolk, a town mostly lost to coastal erosion, and published a history in 1754...
Another 91 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gerner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gerner Ranking

In the United States, the name Gerner is the 11,549^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Gerner migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Gerner were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Gerner Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Georg Gerner, who landed in New York, NY in 1710 6
Hans Georg Gerner, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1750 6
Anna Margretha C. Laule Gerner, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1750
Johann Mathias Gerner, who landed in Reading, Pennsylvania in 1751 6
Matthew Gerner, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 6

Gerner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Phillipp Gerner, who landed in Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Sarah Ann" 6
Anna Gerner, who settled in New York in 1850
Fr. Gerner, who arrived in New York, NY in 1864

Gerner 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:

Gerner Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Janet Gerner, (b. 1847), aged 19, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship "John Temperley" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st June 1866 7
Miss Ellen Gerner, (b. 1844), aged 22, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship "John Temperley" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st June 1866 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Gerner (post 1700) +

Edwin Frederick "Ed" Gerner (1897-1970), nicknamed "Lefty", American Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds in 1919
Kristian Gerner (b. 1942), Swedish historian and author
Sir Hugh Gerner Brain (1890-1976), Australian, army officer, businessman, and public servant

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html