Surname Giesike - Meaning and Origin
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Giesike: What does the surname Giesike mean?
Giesike is an occupational surname derived from the Middle High German term christgewicsken, meaning “Christ’s attendants” or “Christ’s followers.” It was typically given to people who served in the court of an ecclesiastical authority or someone of a religious order. As such, Giesike is most commonly found among families of western and northern Germanic descent, especially in the regions now known as Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands.
The name was typically formed by adding the suffix -ike, from the German word “eiken” meaning “to pull,” to the root name or word Giesi. This reflects how many people with the name likely served in Christ’s court as an attendant. The name also implies a strong faith, as those who earned the name were considered trustworthy and reliable servants of Christ.
The surname also reflects a medieval-era shift in European surnames from being based on patronage to being based on occupation. It is believed that those who adopted the Giesike surname often did so to differentiate themselves from their lower-class kin, setting their family apart as a more pious, educated, and powerful class.
Today, the surname Giesike is not common, but it remains an element of Germanic culture and heritage for those who carry it. Beyond providing a unique link to a family’s past, the name also provides the bearer with a sense of pride and honour in having served Christ’s court.
Order DNA origin analysisGiesike: Where does the name Giesike come from?
The last name Giesike is most commonly found in Germany. According to the public records site genealogy.net, Giesike is found in the following areas of Germany: Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is also found in some areas of Poland, such as Opole.
Giesike is an occupational surname, derived from the word "Gieser" which means "cooper." This indicates that the family original ancestry and home probably was associated with barrel making and other related trades. Such occupational surnames were fairly common during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Today, Giesike is a fairly rare surname, since it is not common for Germans to take on new surnames. Due to its rarity, many individuals who carry the Giesike surname are related to each other. In the United States, there are only a few thousand individuals with the Giesike surname, with the majority of them living in the states of Wisconsin and Illinois.
For more information about the Giesike surname and its origins, there are online genealogy databases such as Ancestry.com or MyHeritage.com that contain records of individuals with the surname, as well as their family histories.
Variations of the surname Giesike
The surname Giesike is derived from the German personal name Gisich, which is derived from Giso, a Germanic personal name. Variants and alternate spellings of the name include Giesceke, Geeseke, Gieske, Gieseke, Geiske, Giseke, Gieschke, and Gisek.
The Dutch and German spelling of the name is Giesselink, though variants and alternate spellings include Gieseling, Gieselink, Giessling, Gieselink, Gieseling, Geeslinck, Geeseling, Giselink, Giselink, Giselinck, and Giselinken.
Related surnames include Gies, Giese, Geese, and Gysi. The surname Gischel is derived from a diminutive form of Giso. Variants and alternate spellings include Gischell, Gissel, Gyssel, Giessell, Gissell, Gesele, Gesele, Gessel, Gisselle, Gysel, Gyselen, Gysselen, Geissel, Geiselle, and Geisel.
The German form of the name is Geisler. Variants and alternate spellings include Gysler, Gyslers, Giesler, Geiseler, Geislers, Gieslars, Giseler, Giselers, Giseler, and Gysler.
Gismer and Gisner are corrupted variants of Gisich. Variants and alternate spellings for these names include Gysmer, Gisner, Gysner, Giesmer, Giesner, Gismar, Gisnar, Gysmer, Gisnin, Geismar, Geisnar, Geismers, Geisner, Gysmar, Gysnar, Gysemear, Geysmar, Geysnar, and Gismer.
Famous people with the name Giesike
- Christian Giesike: an Australian producer, director and writer.
- Ralf Giesike: a German and international artist in fashion, design and film.
- Don Giesike: an American artist and lecturer.
- Johannes Giesike: a German historian and professor at the University of Greifswald.
- Adolf Giesike: a German painter and graphic artist.
- Carl Giesike: a Norwegian architect and painter in the shipbuilding industry.
- Frieda Giesike: a German pianist, organist and composer.
- Hugo Giesike: a German miller and businessman.
- Karl Giesike: a German playwright and director.
- Clementine Giesike: an American novelist, poet and children's author.