Gerber History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Israel

Etymology of Gerber

What does the name Gerber mean?

It wasn’t until the 10th and 11th centuries that Jewish surnames began for the Jews living in North Africa, Spain, France, and Italy.

Surnames were reserved for exceptional individuals, people who were scholars and poets. Therefore, families began to use their surnames as a sign of prominence because of their established family name. 1

The name Gerber is an occupational name for a tanner of leather. The German word "gerber," from the Middle High German "gerwer," means "leather preparer."

Gerber Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Gerber, Gerb, Garber, Gerver and many more.

Gerber World Ranking

In the United States, the name Gerber is the 2,500^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 3 However, in France, the name Gerber is ranked the 1,888^th most popular surname with an estimated 3,266 people with that name. 4 And in South Africa, the name Gerber is the 468^th popular surname with an estimated 15,194 people with that name. 5

Gerber migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gerber Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jacob Gerber, who arrived in New York in 1709 6
Claus Gerber, who landed in America in 1731 6
Hans Jacob Gerber, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1733 6
Joh Jacob Gerber, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 6
Michael Gerber, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1734 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gerber Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mr. Gerber, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1805 6
Mrs. Gerber, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1805 6
Peter Gerber, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1836 6
Vic Gerber, aged 68, who landed in America in 1840 6
Leb Gerber, aged 3, who landed in America in 1840 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gerber migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Gerber Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Arnold Gerber, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Adelaide" on April 16, 1855, settling in Western Australia 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Gerber (post 1700) +

Joel Gerber (1940-2022), American judge of the United States Tax Court
Stephen Ross "Steve" Gerber (1947-2008), American comic book writer, co-creator of the character Howard the Duck
Michael E. Gerber (b. 1936), American author and founder of Michael E. Gerber Companies
Frank Daniel Gerber (1873-1952), American manufacturer of baby food, founded Fremont Canning Company in 1901, father of Daniel Gerber
Daniel "Dan" Frank Gerber (1898-1974), American founder of the baby food enterprise Gerber Products Company
Christoph Gerber, Swiss professor at the Department of Physics, University of Basel, Switzerland, co-inventor of the atomic force microscope
Paul Gerber (1854-1909), German physicist, known for his controversial work on the speed of gravity
Niklaus Gerber (1850-1914), Swiss dairy chemist and industrialist who developed the Gerber Method of testing the fat content of milk
Douglas E Gerber (b. 1933), prominent professor of Classical Studies at Western University in Canada
Heinrich Gerber (1832-1912), renowned German engineer and a pioneer in the construction of cantilevers
... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

Weiss, Nelly. The Origin of Jewish family names: Morphology and History. Peter Lang AG, 2002. Digital
Weiss, Nelly. The origin of Jewish family names: morphology and history. Peter Lang AG, 2002. Digital
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
"Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 17) Adelaide voyage to Western Australia, Australia in 1855 with 261 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adelaide/1855