Show ContentsGerhart History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The historic kingdom of Bohemia, enclosed by mountains and the celebrated Bohemian forest, is the noble birthplace of the name Gerhart.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 Gerhart derived from the Old German personal name Gerhard, which means spear-brave.

Early Origins of the Gerhart family

The surname Gerhart 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 Gerhart family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gerhart 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 Gerhart History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gerhart 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 Gerhart family

During this early period, notable bearers of the name Gerhart included Johann Gerhard (1582-1637), the most famous Lutheran theologian of the time; Daniel Gerdes (1698-1765), German Calvinist theologian and historian...
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gerhart Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gerhart Ranking

In the United States, the name Gerhart is the 8,929th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Gerhart migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gerhart Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Falentyn Gerhart, who arrived in New York in 1709 2
  • Johan Gerhart, who arrived in New York in 1709 2
  • Valenteyn Gerhart, who landed in New York in 1709 2
  • Jacob Gerhart, who arrived in New Jersey in 1730 2
  • Kathrina Gerhart, aged 45, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Gerhart Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Ludwig Gerhart, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 2
  • August Gerhart, who arrived in Arkansas in 1896 2
Gerhart Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Marie Gerhart, who landed in Alabama in 1928 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Gerhart (post 1700) +

  • Harold Kenneth "Ken" Gerhart (b. 1961), American retired Major League Baseball outfielder wh played from 1986-1988 for the Baltimore Orioles
  • Klaus Gerhart, American photographer and the owner of Uber Adventures, the largest canyoneering training provider in the U.S
  • Todd Gerhart (b. 1962), former American football running back who played one season with the Denver Gold of the United States Football League (USFL)
  • Robert "Bobby" Gerhart Jr. (b. 1958), American retired professional stock car racing driver who last competed in the ARCA Menards Series, driving Chevrolet SS for Gerhart Racing
  • Robert R. Gerhart Jr. (1920-2021), American politician, Member of the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1969 to 1972
  • Garth Gant Hallquist Gerhart (b. 1988), American football center who attended Arizona State University from 2007 to 2011
  • Christen Gerhart, American magician, one of the judges, with Penn & Teller and Jason Latimer, on the magic contest reality television series Wizard Wars on the Syfy channel
  • Tobin Bo Gunnar "Toby" Gerhart (b. 1987), former American football running back, winner of the Doak Walker Award in 2009, runner-up for the 2009 Heisman Trophy
  • General John Koehler Gerhart (1907-1981), American Commander-in-Chief of the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) (1962-1965) 3
  • Edgar Henry Gerhart (1923-1992), Canadian lawyer, judge and politician from Alberta who served in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1952 to 1971, Minister of Municipal Affairs (1967-1968)
  • ... (Another 3 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)
  3. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 5) John Gerhart. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Gerhart/John_Koehler/USA.html


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