Ghent History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
England

Etymology of Ghent

What does the name Ghent mean?

Ghent is a name of Anglo-Saxon origin. It was a name given to a noble or wellborn individual. The surname Ghent originally derived from the Old English word Gente. Nicknames often described the time or season of the birth, baptism or conversion of the original bearer. In addition, numerous nicknames referred to various religious festivals, medieval name days, or the particular day of the week when feudal services were fulfilled.

Early Origins of the Ghent family

The surname Ghent was first found in Hampshire where Robert le Gent was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1195. A few years later, John Gent was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Worcestershire in 1200. 1

Simon de Ghent (d. 1315), was Bishop of Salisbury, "born at Westminster. In 1284 he was Archdeacon of Oxford, and was present in this year when Devorguila assigned lands to her newly founded college of Balliol." 2

Early History of the Ghent family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ghent research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1200, 1593, 1693, 1771 and 1778 are included under the topic Early Ghent History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ghent Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Ghent were recorded, including Gent, Ghent and others.

Early Notables of the Ghent family

Distinguished members of the family include Sir Thomas Gent (d. 1593), English judge, the eldest or only son of William Gent, Lord of the Manor of Moyns, Steeple Bumpstead, Essex, of ancient family.Thomas Gent (1693-1778), was a printer, "born in Ireland on 4 May 1693, 'of meek and gentle parents ... rich in grace, though not...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ghent Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ghent Ranking

In the United States, the name Ghent is the 17,335^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Ghent migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Ghent family emigrate to North America:

Ghent Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard Ghent, who settled in Maryland in 1683

Ghent Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Godfrey Ghent, who settled in Philadelphia in 1816

Ghent Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Clayton A Ghent, who arrived in Alabama in 1918 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Ghent (post 1700) +

William J. Ghent, American politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 17th District, 1908; Candidate for New York State Assembly from New York County 27th District, 1909 5
Willard K. Ghent, American Democratic Party politician, Chair of Cortland County Democratic Party, 1955 5
Frank Ghent, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Colorado, 1952 5
Bill Ghent, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1936 5

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html