Gearhardt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Etymology of Gearhardt

What does the name Gearhardt mean?

The historic kingdom of Bohemia, enclosed by mountains and the celebrated Bohemian forest, is the noble birthplace of the name Gearhardt.German surnames developed at a time when most of Bohemia, and most of the German provinces, were states of the Holy Roman Empire. Fairly general principles guided the development of hereditary surnames in Bohemia. Two of the common types of family names found in the Prussia are patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. The surname Gearhardt derived from the Old German personal name Gerhard, which means spear-brave.

Early Origins of the Gearhardt family

The surname Gearhardt was first found in Bohemia, where the name came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates, some in foreign countries, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society.

Early History of the Gearhardt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gearhardt research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1582, 1607, 1629, 1637, 1676, 1698, 1726, 1736 and 1765 are included under the topic Early Gearhardt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gearhardt Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Gerhardt, Gearhart, Gearhardt, Gerhart, Gearhard, Gerhard, Gerheart, Gearheart, Gerard and many more.

Early Notables of the Gearhardt family

Johann Gerhard (1582-1637), the most famous Lutheran theologian of the time; Daniel Gerdes (1698-1765), German Calvinist theologian and historian, Professor at the University of Duisburg in 1726, and at the...
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gearhardt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gearhardt family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Johann Georg Gerhard, with his wife and six children, who came to America in 1709. Johann Heinrich Gerhard arrived in Philadelphia in 1739; Christopher Gerhardt also came to Philadelphia in 1752. Jacob Gerhart came to New Jersey in 1730..