Show ContentsGiese History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Giese family

The surname Giese was first found in the Rhineland, where this family was a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Always influential in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as it forged alliances with other families within the region and the nation. Alsace Lorraine was their original birth place.

Early History of the Giese family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Giese research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1480, 1497, 1524, 1532, 1550, 1562, 1580 and 1677 are included under the topic Early Giese History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Giese Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Geisser, Geiss, Geis, Giese, Gise, Geizzer, Geizer, Guiser, Guyser, Geissmann and many more.

Early Notables of the Giese family

Notables with the name Giese during this period were

  • Tiedemann Giese (1480-1550), German Catholic bishop from Danzig, Prince-Bishop of Warmia
  • Georg Giese (1497-1562), German merchant from Danzig, subject of a portrait painting by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1532
  • Albrecht Giese (1524-1580), councilman and diplomat of the city of Danzig

Giese Ranking

In the United States, the name Giese is the 5,495th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


United States Giese migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Giese Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Anna Barbara Guller Giese, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1731
  • Adam Giese, who arrived in North America in 1785
Giese Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Wilh. Giese, aged 25, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Orient"
  • August Giese, aged 18, who arrived in New York, NY in 1893 2

Canada Giese migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Giese Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Albertz Giese, who settled in Quebec in 1868

Contemporary Notables of the name Giese (post 1700) +

  • William C. Giese (1886-1966), American educator and politician
  • Warren Giese (1924-2013), American politician and football coach
  • Maria Giese, American feature film director and screenwriter
  • Kenyon E. Giese (b. 1933), American politician, Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly (1970-1974)
  • Dan Giese (b. 1977), American Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 2007 to 2009
  • Matt Giese (b. 1978), American comedic actor
  • Max Giese (1879-1935), German engineer and inventor of he concrete pump in 1928
  • Harry Giese (1903-1991), German theatre and voice actor, best known for providing voiceovers on German newsreels during the Second World War
  • Godehard Giese (b. 1972), German actor, best known for his role in Deutschland 83 (2015)
  • Kapitänleutnant Erich Giese (1887-1917), German naval officer killed in action on 5 June 1917 against Royal Navy, eponym of the destroyer Z12 Erich Giese
  • ... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bismarck
  • Hermann Giese (1915-1941), German Oberleutnant (Ing.) who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 3


  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. Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details


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