Geiger History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The surname Geiger is a German occupational surname that evolved in the region known as the Rhineland. Germans at first used only one name, but population growth and increased travel in medieval times caused confusion between people of the same name, forcing the people to adopt hereditary surnames. These names often identified people by the kind of work they did. Geiger is a name for a musician or a person who played the violin. The name Geiger is derived from the Old German word "gigaere," which means "violinist" or "fiddle player."
Early Origins of the Geiger family
The surname Geiger was first found in the Rhine region, 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.
Early History of the Geiger family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Geiger research. Another 134 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1775 and 1789 are included under the topic Early Geiger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Geiger Spelling Variations
In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Geiger include Geiger, Geige, Geyger, Gieger, Geygher, Geigher and many more.
Early Notables of the Geiger family
Notables with the name Geiger during this period were
- Adam Geiger, who was a jurist of Vienna ennobled in 1789
Geiger Ranking
In the United States, the name Geiger is the 1,896th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Geiger is ranked the 4,014th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 2
Geiger migration to the United States +
The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from the Rhineland who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. Many of those who left the Rhineland to seek their fortunes in the prosperous and free New World settled in the major urban centers of the United States and Canada. In the United States, the settlers from the Rhineland passed through immigration centers like that of Ellis Island, most of them moving on to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, the majority of Rhinelanders settled in Ontario and the prairie provinces. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many important settlers to North America bearing the name Geiger, or one of its variants above:
Geiger Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- A M Geiger, who arrived in America in 1722 3
- Hans Jergen Geiger, who settled in Pennsylvania, with his wife and three children in 1727
- Hans Jerg Geiger, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1727 3
- Michael Geiger, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1731 3
- Johan Paul Geiger, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1737 3
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Geiger Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Johannes Geiger, who landed in America in 1800 3
- Jacob Geiger, aged 54, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804 3
- Valentine Geiger, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1807 3
- Fidel Geiger, aged 21, who landed in New York, NY in 1847 3
- Catharina Geiger, aged 11, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1848 3
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Geiger Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Wilhelmine Geiger, aged 20, who arrived in New Jersey in 1923 3
- Friedericke Geiger, aged 18, who arrived in New York, NY in 1923 3
- Martin Geiger, who arrived in South America in 1924 3
- Katharina Geiger, aged 21, who arrived in New York, NY in 1925 3
- Elisabeth Geiger, aged 18, who arrived in New York, NY in 1927 3
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Geiger (post 1700) +
- Johannes "Hans" Wilhelm Geiger (1882-1945), German physicist, best known as the co-inventor of the eponymous Geiger counter and the Geiger tube telescope
- Herman J. Geiger (1925-2020), American physician and civil rights activist,.founding member and past president of Physicians for Human Rights
- Roy Geiger (1885-1947), United States Marine Corps general, recipient of the Navy Cross (2), Navy Distinguished Service Medal (3), and Army Distinguished Service Medal
- Teddy Geiger (b. 1988), American singer and guitarist
- Matt Geiger (b. 1969), American basketball player
- Jacob Casson Geiger (1885-1981), American public health physician
- Vinzenz Geiger (b. 1997), German nordic combined skier, gold medalist at the 2022 Winter Olympics
- Abraham Geiger (1810-1874), German reform rabbi
- Rudolf Geiger (1894-1981), German meteorologist and climatologist
- Theodor Geiger (1891-1952), German sociologist
- ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Suggested Readings for the name Geiger +
- A Brief Digest of the Geiger Family in Missouri by Erwin J. Otis.
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)