Gatz History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Etymology of Gatz

What does the name Gatz mean?

The ancient surname Gatz is thought to be East German-Slavic in origin. It is most likely derived from a personal name, such as "Gaczko" or "Gadafrid." The progenitor of the name was probably the son of someone who was known as Gatz. In this case Gatz or Gatsch are from Gato, a pet form of Gadafrid meaning 'comrade-peace'.

Early Origins of the Gatz family

The surname Gatz was first found in East Germany, in the regions of Silesia, Prussia, and Pomerania, where the name is thought to have originated. The personal name Gaczko could be found in Breslau in 1328; it is therefore likely that the surname Gatz emerged in this region shortly thereafter. The young Gatz family was instrumental during this formative period, figuring prominently in the early history of the region and contributing greatly to the development of medieval German society.

Early History of the Gatz family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gatz research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1423 is included under the topic Early Gatz History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gatz Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Gatz, Gatzke, Gatzka, Gatsch and others.

Early Notables of the Gatz family

Peter Gatz (c.1423), a minter, and the Gatz family of Breslau

Gatz migration to the United States +

Gatz Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jacob Gatz, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1763 1

Gatz Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Gatz, who landed in Texas in 1850 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Gatz (post 1700) +

George W. Gatz, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Richmond County 2nd District, 1928 2
Konrad Gatz (b. 1910), German writer
Christiane Gatz, professor of plant physiology at the Albrecht-von-Haller Institute for Plant Sciences
Felix Maria Gatz (b. 1892), author and professor of art and music

Sources +

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 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html