Surname Goerz - Meaning and Origin
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Goerz: What does the surname Goerz mean?
The last name Goerz (or Göerz) is of German origin and is derived from the German word ‘Görtz’, which means goatherd. It is thought to have been adopted as a surname by someone who worked in the profession of tending or herding goats.
In some cases, the Goerz surname could also be an occupational surname relating to metalwork, as in the Middle Ages, it was used to refer to a maker of metal buckles, as well as armour that was used by nobility.
It is also thought that the last name Goerz could have come from the location of the same name from present-day Görz, which is a city located in the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. This area, which is near the border with Austria and Slovenia, was a part of Austria until 1919. So Goerz could be a habitational or regional surname, indicating that an individual may have originally come from the city.
The Goerz last name is still fairly common in Germany, Austria, and other German-speaking countries in Europe today.
For those with the Goerz surname, it can carry many different meanings and origins. However, based on its German roots, it typically indicates an individual who had either a long-standing profession related to goats or occupied a profession related to metalwork.
Order DNA origin analysisGoerz: Where does the name Goerz come from?
The last name Goerz is most commonly found today in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This is likely because the name is Germanic in origin. The surname has been found in archives dating as far back as the late 18th century in places such as Konsdorf, Austria; decodeGriesbach, Germany; and Michelstadt, Germany.
During the 1800s, several members of the Goerz surname migrated to the United States, with records mainly in the states of Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, and Wisconsin. In the twentieth century, the surname also spread to other parts of the world, such as Australia, Canada, and South Africa.
The most notable member of this surname is Wilhelm Carl Heinrich Goerz, a German astronomer who discovered the star clusters known as the Pleiades. His son, Carl Goerz, was also known for his work in optics and lense-making, known as one of the best makers of lenses in the nineteenth century.
To this day, the surname Goerz is not an overly common one—it is estimated that there are only several thousand bearers of the name around the world. However, its presence in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and even parts of the United States, make it a fairly widespread surname compared to other Germanically-originated surnames.
Variations of the surname Goerz
The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Goerz are Görz, Goers, Groez, Görzl, Goeritz, Görzinger, Gorz, Goerzinger, Gours, Groz and Gorez.
Görz is considered to be the most accurate way of spelling the Goerz name. It is believed to be derived from a Slavic term meaning “hesitation” or “hesitancy”. The names are related to people who lived in regions of present-day Poland and the Czech Republic prior to the 16th century.
The Goerz surname is well documented in records as far back as 1420. Its variants began to appear in the 18th century. The Goers from the Oberpfalz was likely a reference to the village of Görz or Görzik, located in Bavaria.
Gorez is a rare spelling of the Goerz surname but began appearing in records by the 19th century. Its origin is linked to Hungary, likely after a place name now located in the Splitsko-Dalmatinska region of Croatia.
Groz and Gours are more recent spellings of the Goerz name. Today, Goerz and Görz are commonly found in German-speaking countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Sweden. Goers, Groez, Goeritz, Goerzinger and Gorz can be found in the Netherlands, Belgium and France as well as the US, Canada and Australia. Goerzinger and Gours are rarer spellings found in the US and Canada. Görzl is more common in Central and Eastern Europe.
Famous people with the name Goerz
- Andreas Goerz: German entrepreneur and angel investor.
- Richard Goerz: Austrian-German film pioneer who helped set up the modern film industry.
- Petra Goerz: German fashion designer and costume designer.
- Adolf Goerz: German optical engineer who developed new camera formats.
- Madeleine Goerz: American actress, director and producer.
- Günther Goerz: German ornithologist, co-author of the Die Vögel Europas (Birds of Europe).
- Nicolas Goerz: International music artist.
- Peter Goerz: American composer and sound designer.
- Theodor Goerz: German-Austrian inventor and precision machinery maker.
- Alfred Goerz: German photographer who founded the Goerz Optical Works.