Girod History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Italy

A variety of distinguished and notable names have emerged from the beautiful and historical Italian region of Tuscany, including the notable surname Girod. During the Middle Ages, as populations grew and travel between regions became more frequent, the people of Tuscany, who were originally known only by a single name, found it necessary to adopt a second name to identify themselves and their families. This process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries, but it was not completed until the modern era. The development of Italian hereditary surnames followed general principles and were characterized by derivatives from one's given name. The patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, was one of the most common name types found in the region of Tuscany. This system of name-making was widely used because it linked well with the existing Feudal System and during the Christian era, many people named their children after saints and biblical figures. The surname Girod came from the personal name Gerard, which was itself derived from the Old German Gerhard, which means spear-brave.

Early Origins of the Girod family

The surname Girod was first found in Tuscany (Italian: Toscana), a region in central Italy, in the northern area of the Garfagnana. Records can be found as early as 970, with the Gherardinghi family who owned the castles of Verrucola, Bibbiano, Bogli, San Romano, and Sommacologna.

Early History of the Girod family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Girod research. The years 1358, 1367, 1440, 1638 and 1702 are included under the topic Early Girod History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Girod Spelling Variations

In comparison with other European surnames, Italian surnames have a surprising number of forms. They reflect the regional variations and the many dialects of the Italian language, each with its own distinctive features. For example, in Northern Italy the typical Italian surname suffix is "i", whereas in Southern Italy it is "o". Additionally, spelling changes frequently occurred because medieval scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded rather than according to any specific spelling rules. The spelling variations in the name Girod include Gherardi, Gherardo, Gherardis, Ghirardi, Ghirardo, Gherlardi, Ghelardo, Ghilardi, Gerardi, Gheraldi, Ghiraldi, Ghiroldi, Geraldi, Geraldo, Geroldi, Giraldi, Giraldo, Ciraldo, Giraudo, Giraud, Girod, Giroldi, Gherardelli, Gherardini, Gherardinghi, Gerardini, Gerardello, Gherarducci, Gherardeschi, Della Gherardesca, Ghirardelli, Ghilardini, Ghelardini, Girardini, Girardin, Girardoni, Girardone, Girardengo, Geraldini and many more.

Early Notables of the Girod family

Prominent among members of the family was Ugolino Della Gherardesca, a Pisan Ghibelline leader during the 13th century. The Gherardesca family of Pisa was one of the most powerful and respected families in the city at this time. Of this family was Pietro Gherardesca, Cardinal of Pisa with the title of San Susanna; also of this family was Ugolino Gherardesca, who was written about by Dante Alighieri. Guelfo Gerardini was head of the Guelph faction in Florence in 1358...
Another 79 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Girod Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Girod Ranking

In France, the name Girod is the 1,099^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,935 people with that name. 1

Girod migration to the United States +

Early records show that people bearing the name Girod arrived in North America quite early:

Girod Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Nicolas Girod, who arrived in New York in 1797 2

Girod Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Francois Girod, aged 30, who arrived in Texas in 1827 2
Fred Girod, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1887 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Girod (post 1700) +

Nicholas Girod (1747-1840), American politician, 5th mayor of New Orleans between 1812 to 1815
Fred Girod (b. 1951), American politician, Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oregon
Marie-Claire Girod (1957-2023), best known by her stage name Buzy, was a French singer
Paul Girod (1931-2021), French politician, Mayor of Droizy (1958-2021), Member of the Senate of France (1978-2008)
Victor-Bonaventure Girod de Vienney, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 3
Louis Jean Girod, French Governor General of Pondicherry (1896-1898)
Thomas Girod (b. 1983), French luger
Francis Girod (1944-2006), French film director, actor and screenwriter

Citations +

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)
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, March 6) Victor-Bonaventure Girod. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html