Gelber History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Bavaria, Germany is the ancestral home of the Gelber family. The Gelber surname evolved as a local name. It is a name for a family that lived in Bavaria. Since medieval times the name Gelber came from humble beginnings and gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the region's feudal society.

Early Origins of the Gelber family

The surname Gelber was first found in Bavaria, where since medieval times the name Gelb came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the region's feudal society. It later became more prominent as many branches of the family acquired distant estates which greatly elevated their social status.

Early History of the Gelber family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gelber research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1817 and 1846 are included under the topic Early Gelber History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gelber 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 Gelber include Gelb, Gelber, Ghelb, Ghelber, Gelbe, Ghelbe, Gelben, Gelbere, Gelbel, Gelble, Ghelben, Ghelbere, Ghelbel, Ghelble and many more.

Early Notables of the Gelber family

Prominent among members of the name Gelber in this period include

Georg Gelber who was rewarded for his distinguished service with a noble title in 1846

Gelber migration to the United States +

Thousands of German settlers came to North America between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. The hardships of the long voyage were balanced by the opportunity to escape poverty and religious persecution. The descendents of these settlers still populate the states of Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many also live in Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Gelber or a variant listed above:

Edward Gelber, aged 25, Candian settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "President Harding" 1

Gelber Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johannes Gelber, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 2

Gelber Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Barbara Gelber, aged 18, German settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Louisiana" in 1849 1
Anne Gelber, aged 14, German settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Louisiana" in 1849 1
Catherine Gelber, aged 23, German settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Wm Frolhingham" in 1857 1
Anne Gelber, aged 46, Swiss settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Amerique" in 1880 1
I Gelber, aged 23, German settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "State of Nevada" in 1880 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gelber migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Gelber Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century

G. Gelber, British settler who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Moldavia" in 1908 3
Mrs. Rifka Gelber, settler who arrived in Sydney, Australia aboard the ship "Oronsay" in 1939 3
Mrs. Rifka Gelber, settler who arrived in Melbourne, Australia aboard the ship "Misr" in 1948 3
Harry Gelber, settler who arrived in Melbourne, Australia aboard the ship "Misr" in 1948 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Gelber (post 1700) +

Lionel Gelber, Canadian diplomat who founded the Lionel Gelber Prize in 1989, he wrote the book The Rise of Anglo-American Friendship a Study of World Politics 1898 to 1906 in 1938
Wylie Gelber (b. 1988), American professional bassist and guitar maker
Mark H. Gelber (b. 1951), American-Israeli scholar of German-Jewish literature and culture
Lee Gelber (1938-2020), American tour guide and urban historian
Jordan Gelber (b. 1975), American actor and singer who has performed on Broadway in the musical Avenue Q, in All My Sons and in Elf the Musical, among other shows
Dan Gelber, American game designer, co-creator of the Paranoia role-playing game
Dan Gelber (b. 1960), American lawyer and politician, Member of the Florida Senate (2008-2010), 38th Mayor of Miami Beach (2017-)
Alexis Gelber, American Goldsmith Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government
Jack Gelber (b. 1932), American playwright, theatre director and educator
Melvin Wilbur Gelber (b. 1923), American construction mechanical engineer
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Ellis Island Search retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
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)
National Records Search retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Gallery151/dist/JGalleryViewer.aspx?B=9255624&S=6&N=9&R=0#/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=9255624&T=P&S=1