Gest History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Wales

The surname Gest is derived from the Old English word "giest," which in turn comes from the Old Norse Word "gestr," both of which mean "guest" or "stranger." This name was most likely originally a nickname for a guest or stranger, which then became a hereditary surname. 1

Early Origins of the Gest family

The surname Gest was first found in Worcestershire where Richard Thomas Guest held lands and manors in 1275, as listed in the Subsidy Rolls for that county. 2

Perhaps the earliest record of the name is of Beowoldus Gest, who lived c.1100 as listed in the book "Old English Bynames." Richard, Thomas le Gest were listed c.1248 and in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1275. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Roger Gest in Wiltshire and Gilbert de Geyste in Norfolk. The Feet of Fines listed Adam le Gest 11, Edward I (during the eleventh year of King Edward I's reign.) 3

Roger le Gist was listed in Somerset, 1 Edward III 4 and later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Rogerus Gest and Robertus Gest.

Early History of the Gest family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gest research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1275, 1327, 1377, 1517, 1518, 1536, 1577, 1640, 1660, 1706, 1729, 1743, 1747, 1759 and 1792 are included under the topic Early Gest History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gest Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Gest, Gist, Guest and others.

Early Notables of the Gest family

Distinguished members of the family include

Edmuind Guest, Gheast or Geste (1518-1577), Bishop of Salisbury, "born in 1517-18 at Northallerton, Yorkshire. His father, Thomas, belonged to a Worcestershire family, the Gestes of Row Heath in the p...

Gest Ranking

In France, the name Gest is the 3,908^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 5

Gest migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gest Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Henry Gest, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1686 6
Abell Gest, who arrived in Virginia in 1699 6

Gest Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Moses Gest, who landed in Virginia in 1701 6
Frederic Gest, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1748 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Gest (post 1700) +

David Alan Gest (1953-2016), American entertainer, comedian, producer and television personality; best known for having produced the highest-rated musical television special in history, Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration: The Solo Years in 2001, husband of Lisa Minelli (2002-2007)
William Harrison Gest (1838-1912), American Republican politician, U.S. Representative from Illinois 11th District, 1887-91; Circuit Judge in Illinois 14th Circuit, 1897-1912 7
Sydney G. Gest, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Havana, 1932 7
Major-General Thodre-Benoit-Honor-Louis Gest (1878-1977), French General Officer Commanding Gendarmerie Paris Military Region (1938) 8

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 5) Thodre-Benoit-Honor-Louis Gest. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Gest/Th%C3%A9odre-Benoit-Honor%C3%A9-Louis/France.html