Surname Gerst - Meaning and Origin
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Gerst: What does the surname Gerst mean?
The last name Gerst is a German surname believed to have originated in central Europe, potentially in modern-day Germany. The name is derived from the German word “gerste,” which means barley. The exact meaning of the name is uncertain, but it is thought to have referred to someone who grew or sold barley.
The surname Gerst is more popular in German-speaking countries than in other areas of the world, suggesting it was likely a name associated with German immigrants who ventured to other countries. It is also relatively common in certain parts of the United States, suggesting that some families from Germany likely immigrated to the US during the 19th or 20th centuries.
Certain variants of the surname Gerst exist, such as Gersht, Gershman, Gershon, and Gersten. It is possible that these other surnames derived from Gerst as a result of error or simplification during immigration proceedings or other documentation.
Overall, the surname Gerst is believed to be an occupational name that refers to someone who grew or worked with barley. The exact meaning of the name is unknown, but it has survived several centuries and is still relatively common in some areas of the world.
Order DNA origin analysisGerst: Where does the name Gerst come from?
The last name Gerst is most common today in Northern Germany and some parts of Austria, as well as in the United States. In Germany, particularly in the region of Schleswig-Holstein, the name is quite frequent. In Austria, it is primarily found in areas around Vienna and the province of Lower Austria. In the U.S., the name is most common in Pennsylvania and Ohio, likely due to German immigrants who settled in these states in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
In the U.S., the name can be found in records that date back to early colonial days. One such record is a marriage notice from 1745 in Winchester, Virginia. In addition, the name can be found in the 1790 U.S. Federal Census. By this time, some of the Gerst families had moved to Pennsylvania, while others remained in Virginia and other states.
In the twentieth century, the name continued to move all over the U.S. as families migrated to new areas. Today, the name is found in most parts of the country, particularly in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, and Texas.
The name Gerst is also common in many countries around the world, including Australia, Canada, and India. It is also quite common in some parts of South America, particularly in Brazil.
Overall, the name Gerst is quite common today. Its presence is especially strong in Northern Germany and some parts of Austria, as well as in Pennsylvania and Ohio in the United States, where families with this name have been living for many generations.
Variations of the surname Gerst
Gersht, Gershtein, Grszt, Gerszte, and Girsztejn are the variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for the surname Gerst. Gerst has its roots in Eastern European surnames and is fairly common in the German language. This last name is derived from the Middle High German word “görst”, which means “barley”, although other sources point to the possibility of it deriving from the Hebrew word “gartz”, meaning “forest”.
The surname Gerst began to appear in documents after the middle of the 13th century in Bohemia, which was what is now the Czech Republic. At this time, the surname was used to denote someone that was related to the trade, production, or sale of barley. Alternatively, the name may have been used to denote someone that lived in an area covered in trees.
The variants of this surname are equally distributed over multiple countries such as Germany, Poland and Russia. The most common spelling variation is Gersht, a variant which is fairly popular across all of the countries mentioned above. The spelling Gershtein also appears in all of these countries, however, its popularity is not as widespread.
In Germany, variants such as Grszt and Gerszte are the most common. Lastly, Girsztejn is the most popular variant in Russia. As a result of the mobility of people and immigration, this surname may also be found in other countries and among people of different origins. All of the variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for the surname Gerst share the same history and may have appeared in many documents from the same time period in different countries.
Famous people with the name Gerst
- Greg Gerst: Greg Gerst is an American Navy Commander and a former NASA astronaut. He has flown on two space shuttle missions, STS-133 and STS-134.
- Amy Gerst: Amy Gerst was an Austrian-American actress in the second half of the 20th century, best remembered for her roles in films such as S.O.S. Iceberg and The World of Illusion with Mickey Mouse.
- Marlene Gerst: Marlene Gerst was an American dancer and actress, best known for her roles in films such as North by Northwest, Ship of Fools, and The Ten Commandments.
- Gene Gerstner: Gene Gerstner was an American politician and civil servant. He served as the Department of Energy’s Undersecretary for Nuclear Security and National Security Adviser from 2005 to 2009.
- Oscar Gerst: Oscar Gerst was a German politician who was an independent member of the Reichstag between 1928 and 1932.
- Anna Gerst: Anna Gerst was an American artist, teacher and collector. She collected 19th century American textile arts and wrote and exhibited extensively on American quilts and aprons.
- Annemarie Gerst: Annemarie Gerst was an Austrian screenwriter and film director. She directed several post-World War II films and received special recognition at the Berlin Film Festival in 1952.
- Ernst Gerst: Ernst Gerst was a German philosopher and Nazi who wrote extensively in support of anti-Semitism and the racial superiority of Germans.
- R.H. Gerst: R.H. Gerst was an American war correspondent and author who wrote several books about his experience during World War II, including I Reincarnated as a Soldier.
- Al Gerst: Al Gerst was an American basketball player and coach. He coached college basketball from 1948 to 1975 and is best remembered for his stint at Holy Cross (1953-1962).