Surname Gerngross - Meaning and Origin
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Gerngross: What does the surname Gerngross mean?
The surname Gerngross is an interesting example of a toponymic surname, meaning a surname derived from the name of a place.
The origin of the Gerngross surname is German in origin, and it would have been first used in the regions of Bavaria, with its neighbouring areas of Austria and Switzerland. This name could be derived from the word 'Gernberg', a hill or mountain which is located in the region. Alternatively, the name could have come from the Old High German word ‘gern', which means “beard” and ‘krus', a type of marshy area.
The original meaning of the surname then could be “the marsh (or thicket) of the bearded one” or even more simply “the man with a beard”. It is believed that the Gerngross family then got their surname from someone who bore a beard, either in the geographical area of Gernberg or elsewhere.
Today, the Gerngross surname is found throughout Germany and parts of Austria. It is also quite popular in countries throughout Europe as well as in the United States and Canada due to migration. It is one of many surnames that have come to represent the family’s journey in life from the small villages of Germany to the larger cities of the world.
Order DNA origin analysisGerngross: Where does the name Gerngross come from?
The last name Gerngross is most commonly found today in the areas of Germany and Austria. This last name is of Germanic etymology, and linguistically it translates to “gray-roofed” or “grey-haired” house. The name is likely derived from the Middle High German “ghern”, meaning “gray”, along with “gross” for “thick” or “coarse”, or alternatively from the Middle German “gheringen”, in reference to a person with gray hair.
The most populous cities in Germany can be expected to have the highest concentrations of the name today, with more than 5% of its inhabitants having it as their family name. A strong presence is also noted in the Austrian states of Baden, Vorarlberg, and Carinthia, although the surname is also found in other parts of the world including the United States, Canada and Australia.
Gerngross is one of the oldest documented surnames, with records going back to the 13th century. Traditionally, this name was most commonly concentrated around the Lower Rhine region, and particularly the city of Cologne. However, as Germany has seen much immigration in centuries past, the name has spread much farther afield.
Nowadays, Gerngross is mostly found in Germany, Austria, and traditionally German-speaking countries like the US, Canada, and Australia. As such, it can hardly be considered a “rare” name, though it still retains a connection to its homeland in its etymology.
Variations of the surname Gerngross
The Gerngross surname has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. The variants and spellings of the name are generally similar to Gerngross but can be slightly different. Some variants are Gern Gross, Gerngross, Gerngras, Gern Gras, Gerngraß, Gern Graß, Gern Graess, Gern Graes, and Gerngras.
The surname is predominantly found in Germany, but other countries with similar variants of the surname include Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and other central and northern European countries.
The surnames of the same origin as Gerngross are also quite numerous. These can include Gras, Grasse, Grasse, Grass, Greas, Graes, Grasseau, Graesse, Graeser, Gräser, Greaser, Graesseer, Greaser, Graessner, and Graesner.
Many of these surnames are derived from the German word "gras", which means grass, and indicates that the early bearers of the name may have been farmers who cultivated grass. Other variants may have evolved from other Germanic names such as Gernot and Gernhard which may have derived from the words "gern", meaning yearn for, and "hard", meaning brave and strong.
Overall, the surname Gerngross has many different spelling variants and surnames of the same origin. The early bearers of the name were likely farmers who cultivated grass and likely took the surname from the Germanic names Gernot and Gernhard, meaning yearning and brave, respectively.
Famous people with the name Gerngross
- Christian Gerngross, a German watercolour painter
- Tijl Gerngross, Belgium entrepreneur born in the Netherlands
- Henry Gerngross, a legendary physicist who held a number of academic positions in Germany
- Gert G. Gerngross, co-founder of Applied Biosystems
- Johann Gerngross, an Austrian entrepreneur known for founding the international real estate company ImmobilienGerngross
- Sarah Gerngross, an American film editor
- Herbert Gerngross, a German classical tenor
- Inge Gerngross, a German author
- Susanne Gerngross, an Austrian author, illustrator and animator
- U.S. Army Brigadier General Bryan T. Gerngross, who served as Commander of Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa from August 2013 to August 2015