Surname Geerns - Meaning and Origin
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Geerns: What does the surname Geerns mean?
The last name Geerns is believed to have originated from the medieval personal names Gerard, Garhard, Gernard or Gerhard. This name is of Germanic origin, and can be translated to mean "brave spear" or "strong spear." During the medieval period the name was widely distributed throughout Germany, as well as areas of what is now Belgium and the Netherlands.
The origin of the name is also seen in other spelling variations, including Grain, Gram, Gerner, Geern, Garn, and Gorn. All of these names are thought to have been derived from the same root name.
This surname is a baptismal name, meaning it was originally given to children who were named after a saint or holy person. Later, it may have been used to distinguish individuals within a family.
Geerns is seen as an occupational surname as well. During the medieval period, it was quite common for individuals to take on the surname of the trade or profession they followed. A person who was a craftsman of spears could have taken the name Geerns as a way to honor his trade.
The spelling variations allowed individuals to keep track of specific family lines and tribal origins, and could have been used to distinguish between individuals of the same name within a family.
Geerns is still quite commonly seen today, even though the occupation associated with the name has changed. When one sees this last name, it indicates an individual whose family is rooted in northern Germany and the surrounding area.
Order DNA origin analysisGeerns: Where does the name Geerns come from?
The last name Geerns is most widely found today in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. According to MyHeritage.com, the Geerns name is most commonly used in Flemish region in northern Belgium. The frequency of Geerns surname is highest in Belgium (ranked 40 out of 887) and Netherlands (ranked 854 out of 8887), although it is also found in Germany (ranked 5986 out of 98,888).
In Netherlands, the Geerns surname is more popular among some smaller cities such as Ouddorp and Lutjebroek. In Belgium, it is most commonly found in the province of West Flanders. On the other hand, the surname is not so commonly found in Germany. However, there are some Geerns families in Bavaria, Rheinland-Pfalz and North Rhine-Westphalia regions.
Aside from continental Europe, the Geerns surname can also be found in The United States, Canada, Cambodia and New Zealand. It is not a common surname in the US, but there is still a steady number of Geerns families living in the country. In Canada, the surname is mostly found in Nova Scotia.
Overall, the last name Geerns is a relatively uncommon one. Despite this, it can still be found throughout Europe, North America and few other countries around the world.
Variations of the surname Geerns
The Geerns surname is primarily found in the Netherlands and Belgium. It is derived from the Dutch word for 'fence', and there are several alternative variants of the name, depending on the language or dialect being used.
In Dutch, the most common variant of Geerns is Geerns/Geerns, while in West Flemish, a dialect of Dutch spoken in western Belgium, the name is typically spelled Garms/Garnees.
In German, the name is spelled Gehrns, while in Afrikaans, a language derived from Dutch and spoken in South Africa and Namibia, it is generally spelled Geernsz. Gherts is the Italian variant of the name, while Geeritz is the Danish variant.
Various patronymic surnames derived from the root Geerns also exist throughout Europe. These include Gerné in France, Gernert in Germany, and Gernest in Italy.
In addition, the variation Geerink and its various spellings can be found in the Netherlands and Germany. This variant is a combination of the root Geerns and the suffix -ink, which denotes a person who lives near a certain fence, such as a hedge or wall.
Finally, there are a number of different spelling variants of the name that have arisen due to the migrations of people with Geerns ancestry to other countries, as well as changing spelling conventions in different languages. Variants such as Guerns, Garness, Kearns, Kerns, Garneys and Kearney have all been used at one time or another.
Famous people with the name Geerns
- Jens Geerns: a Dutch football coach who was the manager of NAC Breda.
- Niels Geerns: a Dutch footballer who most notably played for Sporting Lokeren and Den Bosch.
- Wilfried Geerns: a German chess Grandmaster who was the Vice-President of International Chess Federation and a member of the board of trustees of Chess War Veterans Foundation.
- Marijke Geerns: a famous Dutch painter known for her abstract works.
- Herman Geerns: a Belgian politician and an agricultural specialist.
- Louis Geerns: a Dutch football defender who represented the Netherlands at the 1948 Summer Olympics.
- Katharina Geerns: a German Porsche Cup racer who is currently competing in the ADAC GT Masters.
- Bas Geerns: a Dutch actor, screenwriter, director, and photographer.
- Sandro Geerns: a Dutch professional footballer who currently plays as a centre back for ADO Den Haag.
- Juan Geerns: a Spanish actor, comedian, and entertainer known for his roles in films such as Todo Restaurante and the Spanish television show El Intermedio.