The surname Gest was originally formed in the western region of Britain in the country of Wales. This name began as a nickname for a guest or stranger. The surname Gest is derived from the Old English word "gest," which in turn comes from the Old Norse Word "gestr," which means "guest" or "stranger."
The surname Gest was first found in Worcestershire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gest research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1248 and 1273 are included under the topic Early Gest History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
There are relatively few surnames native to Wales, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. Early variations of Welsh surnames can be explained by the fact that very few people in the early Middle Ages were literate. Priests and the few other literate people were responsible for recording names in official documents. And because most people could not specific how to properly record their names it was up to the individual recorder of that time to determine how a spoken name should be recorded. Variations due to the imprecise or improper recording of a name continued later in history when names originally composed in the Brythonic Celtic, language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, were transliterated into English. Welsh names that were documented in English often changed dramatically since the native language of Wales, which was highly inflected, did not copy well. Occasionally, however, spelling variations were carried out according to an individual's specific design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by minor variations. The spelling variations of the name Gest have included Guest, Guests, Jeste and others.
Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was John Guest (1722-1785), a brewer, farmer and coal merchant in Broseley, Shropshire, co-founder of the Plymouth Ironworks in 1763; Sir Josiah John Guest, 1st...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gest Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Gest family to IrelandSome of the Gest family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 41 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Gest migration to the United States +Many Welsh families joined their Scottish and Irish neighbors during the late 1800s and early 1900s in seeking refuge in North America. Like the Irish and Scottish, many Welsh anxiously awaited the work, freedom, and opportunities that they believed lay in North America. Those who did journey over to the United States and what became known as Canada often realized those dreams, but only through much toil and perseverance. Whenever and however these Welsh immigrants arrived in North America, they were instrumental in the creation of the industry, commerce, and cultural heritage within those two developing nations. In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Gest were found:
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England
Wales
Ireland
