Geron History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France
England

The French name Geron has a history dating as far back as the 13th century. This history is intrinsically entwined with that region known as Normandy, for it was derived from when the Geron family lived in Normandy, at Gueron. 1

Guérin was also originally a name given to a person that was born under the astrological sign of Aries, so it is assumed by some sources that the name Guerin stemmed form this nickname. 2

Early Origins of the Geron family

The surname Geron was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy, where they held a family seat at Gueron and were the seigneurie of that area, in the department of Calvados in the arrondissement of Bayou. In 1086 Turstin de Giron or Girounde was an under-tenant of Odo, Bishop of Bayou. Later, in 1133, Gueron is described as a bravassoria of the Bishop of Bayou. They also branched to Grée and Landelle in Brittany. This distinguished family were Grand Masters of the Order of St.Jean of Jerusalem in 1231.

Some scholars believe the name finds its early roots with the Guerins of Gauthier and Saint Martin. His posterity included the name Warren in England, Guaragno and Guarini in Italy, and of course Guerin in France 1.

"About 1050, Robert surnamed Guernon, Baron of Montfiquet, witnessed a charter of Duke William. He had issue, 1. William de Montfitchet, who died when the barony descended on the son of his brother: 2. Robert Guernon, or Gernon, who held a great barony in Essex in 1086. From his eldest son, William de Montfitchet, descended the Barons Montfichet; the younger branches retained the name of Guernon. Alured Gernon, the brother of William de Montfichet, had estates in Essex and Middlesex in 1130. " 3

Some ancient findings of the name include, the Guerins of Agon, ennobled in 1653, the Guerins of Chermont, ennobled in 1657, the Guerins of Grasserie who were councilors in parliament, cited in 1452, and the Guerins of Houssaye, three of which were knights of Saint Louis. 1

Claude Guerin, born in 1668, son of Michel and Jeanne (née Veron), was a soldier for M. Noyan. He married Jeanne Cusson at Montreal, Quebec on 19th November 1696. 4

Early History of the Geron family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Geron research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1606, 1611, 1663, 1678, 1679, 1681, 1688, 1698, 1721, 1748, 1749, 1758, 1774, 1799, 1805, 1810, 1833, 1839, 1848 and 1874 are included under the topic Early Geron History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Geron Spelling Variations

There were a great number of spelling variations in French surnames. One reason for this was the wide variety of cultural influences present in France during the early development of the French language. The many spelling variations of the name include Guerrin, Guerren, Guerin, Guerinne, Guerrein, Guereon, Gueron, Gerin, Garin, Le Guerin, Guerenne, Le Guerinne, De Guerin, De Guerrin, Du Guerin and many more.

Early Notables of the Geron family

Notable amongst the family in this period was Gilles Guérin (1611-1678), French sculptor; Louis Laguerre (1663-1721), a French decorative painter who mainly worked in England; Pierre Guérin de Tencin (1679-1758), French ecclesiastic; Claudine Guérin de Tencin (1681-1749), French salonist and...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Geron Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Geron Ranking

In France, the name Geron is the 6,887^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 5

Geron migration to the United States +

In 1643, 109 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Migration was slow. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the French Acadian presence in the Maritimes had reached 500. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The family name Geron has made many distinguished contributions in France and New France to the world of science, culture, religion, and education. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Geron were

Geron Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Johann Joseph Geron, aged 28, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847 6

Geron migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Geron Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

E. J. Geron, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Siam" in 1865

Citations +

Hozier, Charles D, and Antoine Bachelin-Delforenne. État présent De La Noblesse française (1883-1887): Contenant Le Distionnaire De La Noblesse Contemporaine Et Larmorial général De France, Dapres Les Manuscrits De Ch. D Hozier. Librairie Des Bibliophiles, 1884. Print.
Dionne, N.-E., Origine Des Familles Canadiennes-Français. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1969. Print.
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)