The ancient surname Gatzka 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.
The surname Gatzka 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 Gatzka emerged in this region shortly thereafter. The young Gatzka 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.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gatzka research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 142 and 1423 are included under the topic Early Gatzka History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spelling variations of this family name include: Gatz, Gatzke, Gatzka, Gatsch and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Gatzka Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Jacob Gatz, who settled in Philadelphia in 1763; Christian Gatz, who was bound out as a servant in Philadelphia in 1773; Jean Gatz, who emigrated from Alsace to Louisiana in 1840.