Show ContentsGurganus History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished surname Gurganus is of German origin, meaning "son of George." The name is derived from the Greek "ge ergon," literally meaning "tiller of the soil" or "farmer." Gurganus was used as a first name throughout Europe during the Middle Ages due to the legendary dragon-slaying fame of St. George, and eventually came into use as a surname around the 12th century.

Early Origins of the Gurganus family

The surname Gurganus was first found in various regions of Germany; it is likely that several branches of the family emerged independently when hereditary surnames came into common use. The earliest recorded bearer of the name was Everhardus filius Georgi, who was a resident of Hamburg in 1256. Every branch of the young Gurganus family was instrumental during this early period, each playing a major role in the development of the society of its particular region.

Early History of the Gurganus family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gurganus research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1256, 1471, 1559, 1585, 1588, 1611, 1656, 1811, 1868 and 1933 are included under the topic Early Gurganus History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gurganus Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Georg, George, Gurganus, Gürganus, Georgi, Giorges, Gorges, Georgeis, Jorge, Jurge, Jürge, Jörg, Gorgens, Görgens, Jürgen, Jurgen, Yerkes and many more.

Early Notables of the Gurganus family

Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gurganus Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gurganus Ranking

In the United States, the name Gurganus is the 12,045th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Gurganus family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Wilhelm Georg and his wife Anna Marie, who settled in New York with their three children in 1709; Michael Jurg, who emigrated from the Palatinate to Pennsylvania in 1727.


Contemporary Notables of the name Gurganus (post 1700) +

  • Major General Charles Mark Gurganus, U.S. Marine flag officer, Commander of the Regional Command Southwest
  • Allan Gurganus, American novelist, short story writer, and essayist


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


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