Surname Gumps - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'G'
Gumps: What does the surname Gumps mean?
The last name “Gump” is derived from the German word “gumpen,” which means “hump” or “bluff”, referring to an area of land that is usually higher than the surrounding terrain, or a man-made hill. This terrain feature was often used as a defensive location during war and battle.
The name “Gump” was also used to describe someone who was “thick headed,” or naive and innocent. This description could have come from the fact that a “hump” was a difficult obstacle to overcome; it was not easy to get over.
Surnames with the root “Gump” can also be found in England, France, Netherlands, and Belgium. The “Gump” first name was first recorded in Germany during the early 1500s. The name is currently most common in Germany, and other German speaking countries like Austria and Switzerland.
In America, Gumps’s are mostly found in the Midwest and Southern United States, with states like Indiana, Illinois and Georgia having the most Gumps families.
At its core, the traditional meaning of the Gump surname is a stubborn person, or someone who is naive and innocent and unable to act on their own wit. Those with this surname are often viewed as kind, helpful individuals.
Order DNA origin analysisGumps: Where does the name Gumps come from?
The last name Gumps is most closely associated with the 1994 movie Forrest Gump starring Tom Hanks. It has become a fairly popular name as a result, but it does not appear to have a significant presence in any one region or country.
In the United States, the last name Gumps appears to be particularly concentrated in the states of California, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. In California, the Gumps name is quite popular except for in the counties of San Mateo, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, and Alameda. In these counties, the name appears to be fairly rare.
In other parts of the world, the last name Gumps is uncommon. Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia appear to have no significant presence of this surname. However, the name appears to be fairly common in many countries in Eastern Europe, including Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia.
Overall, the last name Gumps does not appear to have any concentrated presence in any particular region or country, though it does have a significant presence in some parts of the United States. As the name has become increasingly popular in recent years, it may become more concentrated in other regions and countries in the future.
Variations of the surname Gumps
The surname Gumps has quite a few variants, spellings, and alternate surnames, all with the same origin. The most common variant is the spelling Gumps, although Gimp, Gamp, Gang, Gahl, and Gahm have been known to occur. Gump and Gamps are also seen in some areas.
Gimper, Gompf, Goem, Guemper, and Goempter can all be considered variations of the Gumps surname too. In some cases, the families that used Gumps as their surname may have adopted a new version of the name, such as Gum, Gumple, Gumble, Guemple, and Gammel.
A less common surname form could be Gammuir, Gammiri, Geimple, or Geimpler. Gahlke, Gahmke, and Gehrke may also be of the same origin. Depending on the area, the spelling of Gumps could also be Gaump or Gaums.
Finally, there are alternate surnames that have the same origin as Gumps. These can include Gahlinger, Gahmling, Galleme, Gollinger, and of course, Gumpinger. All in all, the family name Gumps, with all of its variants, spellings, and alternate surnames, has quite a diversity of forms.
Famous people with the name Gumps
- Forrest Gump: The lead character in the classic 1994 film, portrayed by Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump follows a young man from Alabama who inadvertently has a wild range of experiences throughout his life.
- Jenny Curran: Forrest Gump's childhood friend and love interest, who is a free-spirited woman with a complicated past.
- Bubba Gump: A character featured in the movie Forrest Gump, he is portrayed by Mykelti Williamson and is Forrest's best friend and eventual shrimp-boating companion.
- Lieutenant Dan Taylor: A former U.S. Army soldier who is a friend of Forrest Gump, LT Dan is initially hostile but eventually her personality changes as the two become close friends.
- Shelby Gump: A character played in the movie by Haley Joel Osment, Shelby is the son of Forrest and Jenny.
- Pete Gump: Jenny's father, voiced by Gary Sinise in the movie Forrest Gump. He is a stern and unyielding figure in Jenny's life.
- Joseph 'Joe' Gump: A character from the movie who is portrayed by Michael Connor Humphreys. He is Forrest and Jenny's son and is born just before Jenny's death.
- Delmar Gump: A character from the 1994 film Forrest Gump. He is Forrest's cousin and is first seen as a young individual living with his parents until they move to California.
- Leigh Anne Tuohy: The adoptive mother of NFL quarterback Michael Oher, portrayed by Sandra Bullock in the movie The Blind Side. In an interview with Anderson Cooper, she mentioned that her maiden name was Gump.
- Bill Gump: A senior United States Navy Admiral who served as the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Pacific Command from 1985 to 1988.