| ![Show Contents]() Gerrit History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
Ireland Etymology of GerritWhat does the name Gerrit mean? Although the Gerrit surname came to Britain with the Normans, it derives from the Germanic personal names Gerard, or Gerald, composed of the elements "gar," or "ger," meaning "spear," "hard," meaning "brave," or "strong," and "wald," meaning "rule." The Anglo-Norman surname Gerrit in Ireland was often Mac Gerailt, and was used as a synonym of Fitzgerald. Early Origins of the Gerrit familyThe surname Gerrit was first found in County Carlow (Irish: Cheatharlach) a small landlocked area located in the province of Leinster in the South East of Ireland, where some of the name may have come from Anglicized versions of MacOrcachta, believed to be descended from Cathal, brother of Teige Mor, of the powerful O'Connors of Connacht. However, it is thought that the majority of this name in Ireland are of English (Norman) stock. Early History of the Gerrit familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gerrit research. Another 27 words (2 lines of text) covering the year 1598 is included under the topic Early Gerrit History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gerrit Spelling VariationsIn the days before Gaelic or English gained any significant semblance of standardization, the scribes who created documents simply recorded names as they sounded. Consequently, in the Middle Ages many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research on the Gerrit family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including Garrett, Garratt, MacGarrett, McGarraty, Garret, Garrat, Garet, Garitt, Garatt and many more. Early Notables of the Gerrit familyMore information is included under the topic Early Gerrit Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Gerrit migration to the United States | + |
Many Irish families left the English-controlled Ireland in the 19th century. Early immigrants were primarily after land and the opportunity of living a life entirely of their own fashioning. In the 1840s, this pattern of immigration changed as the Great Potato Famine struck Ireland. Hundreds of thousands left the diseased and starving island with little expectations but many hopes. By this time there was very little available land in the east, so many immigrants joined the movement for the western frontier lands, or settled in established urban centers. Irish immigrants not only made enormous contributions to the rapid development and population of North America, but they also brought with them a rich cultural heritage. Immigration and passenger ship lists show some important early immigrants bearing the name Gerrit:
Gerrit Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Van Gerrit, aged 10, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847 1
| Contemporary Notables of the name Gerrit (post 1700) | + |
- Evert Gerrit Kroon (1946-2018), Dutch bronze medalist water polo goalkeeper at the 1976 Summer Olympics
- Gerrit "Gert" van den Berg (1935-2024), Dutch politician
- Gerrit Y. Lansing (1783-1862), American politician, U.S. Representative from New York
- Gerrit Engelke (1890-1918), prominent Expressionist poet who was tragically killed as a soldier a few days before the Armistice
- Gerrit Pels (1893-1966), Dutch astronomer, a lifelong member of the scientific staff of the Leiden Observatory, eponym of 1667 Pels, a main-belt asteroid
- Gerrit van der Linde (1927-2022), Dutch jurist, Justice of the Supreme Court of the Netherlands from 1981 to 1997
- Gerrit Wunder, Austrian film composer and graduate of University of Music and performing arts Vienna living in Los Angeles, one of the winners of the 21st annual Pete Carpenter Fellowship
- Gerrit Jan Schutte (1939-2022), Dutch politician and teacher, member of the defunct Reformed Political League (GPV), Leader of the Reformed Political League (1981-2001)
- Gerrit Tromp (1901-1938), Dutch rower who competed in the men's eight event at the 1924 Summer Olympics
- Gerrit Copper (1953-2020), Dutch magician, three times Dutch national champion
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Semper fidelis
Motto Translation: Always faithful.
- 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)
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