Show ContentsGeller History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Geller family

The surname Geller was first found in Silesia, where the name gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. The name derives from the occupational name for a town crier, for which the German word is "geller." It is also a nickname for a man with red hair, from the Yiddish "gel." It later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates and branches, some in foreign countries, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society.

Early History of the Geller family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Geller research. Another 111 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1652, 1758 and 1876 are included under the topic Early Geller History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Geller Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Gehler, Gehlen, Gehren, Geler, Geller, Gelar, Gelan, Gelder, Geldern, Goler and many more.

Early Notables of the Geller family

More information is included under the topic Early Geller Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Geller Ranking

In the United States, the name Geller is the 5,497th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [1]


United States Geller migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Geller Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Frantz Geller, who landed in New York in 1709 [2]
  • Christoffel Geller, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1742 [2]
  • Johannes Geller, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1752 [2]
  • Jacob Geller, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1794 [2]
Geller Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Michael Geller, aged 21, who arrived in New York in 1812 [2]
  • William Geller, aged 30, who arrived in New York in 1812 [2]
  • Mr. CH. Geller, aged 21, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Armenius"
  • Mr. William Geller, aged 19, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Armenius"
  • Mrs. Anna Geller, aged 54, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Armenius"
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Geller (post 1700) +

  • Esther Geller (1921-2015), American abstract expressionist painter
  • Steven A. Geller (b. 1958), American attorney and politician, Member of the Florida Senate from the 31st district (1998-2008)
  • Simon Geller (1919-1995), American classical music station radio personality in Gloucester, Massachusetts
  • Margaret J. Geller (b. 1947), American astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, awarded the Newcomb Cleveland Prize (1989), MacArthur Fellowship (1990), Klopsteg Memorial Award (1996), Magellanic Premium (2008)
  • Kenneth Steven Geller (b. 1947), American Managing Partner of the law firm Mayer Brown
  • Jamie Geller, American-born Israeli food writer, celebrity chef, television producer and businesswoman, nicknamed the Queen of Kosher
  • Herbert Arnold Geller (1928-2013), American jazz saxophonist, composer and arranger
  • Bruce Bernard Geller (1930-1978), American lyricist, screenwriter, director, and television producer
  • Andrew Michael Geller (1924-2011), American architect, painter and graphic designer
  • Efim Petrovich Geller (1925-1998), Soviet chess player, world-class grandmaster and coach to Boris Spassky and Anatoly Karpov


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)


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