Show ContentsGelman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Gelman family

The surname Gelman was first found in Belgium, where the name became noted for its many branches in the region, each house acquiring a status and influence which was envied by the princes of the region. The name was first recorded in Brabant, an ancient duchy from 1190 onward. Within the province Brussels and Louvain are the major cities and the smaller Clabecq, Tubize and Wavre towns. Other towns include Vilvorde, Tirlemont and Hal. In their later history the surname became a power unto themselves and were elevated to the ranks of nobility as they grew into a most influential family.

Early History of the Gelman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gelman research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1571, 1770 and 1771 are included under the topic Early Gelman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gelman Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Gelman, Gelmen, Gelmer, Geylman, Geymann, Gillman, Gilman and many more.

Early Notables of the Gelman family

The surname was distinguished by many in this era including

  • the Gelman family of Belgium

Gelman Ranking

In the United States, the name Gelman is the 15,826th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


Gelman migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gelman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Gelman, aged 37, who landed in New York in 1812 2
Gelman Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Ike Gelman, who arrived in Mississippi in 1902 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Gelman (post 1700) +

  • Yury Gelman, American fencer
  • Woody Gelman (1915-1978), American cartoonist
  • Susie Gelman, American activist
  • Michael Gelman (b. 1961), American executive producer for TV talk show Live with Regis and Kelly
  • Larry Gelman (b. 1930), American actor
  • Kimiko Gelman (b. 1966), American actress
  • Brett Gelman (b. 1976), American actor and comedian
  • Andrew Gelman (b. 1965), American statistician
  • Alexander Gelman (b. 1960), Russian-American theater director
  • Andrew Gelman (b. 1965), American statistician, professor of statistics and political science, and director of the Applied Statistics Center at Columbia University
  • ... (Another 11 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  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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