Surname Gehrloff - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'G'
Gehrloff: What does the surname Gehrloff mean?
The last name Gehrloff is of German origin and is believed to have originated from the German word ‘gehr’ which means ‘creek’ or ‘stream’, combined with ‘loff’, meaning ‘law’. It is believed that the name could have referenced a body of water near which a body of laws were made or legislation was imposed in a certain area of the country.
The name is not very common and was distributed in its early form mainly in northern Germany, and more specifically in Brandenburg. It was quite popular in the 19th century, when many people from northern Germany were movin to the US or other parts of Europe.
In the US, the Gehrloff spelling has been confirmed as a variant of the more common name Gerloff. It may have been altered slightly on several occasions due to the difficult transition from German language to English or vice versa.
Gehrloff is still used today as a surname in some parts of the US and in Germany. It is an interesting name to have, and it is possible that it still holds strong roots in the laws of this region in which it originated.
Order DNA origin analysisGehrloff: Where does the name Gehrloff come from?
The last name Gehrloff is most commonly found in the United States, Germany, and Austria today. In the United States it is thought to have likely originated in Pennsylvania, though it is difficult to trace back exactly. Census records from the late 19th century onwards suggest that a significant number of people with the Gehrloff surname lived in the eastern states of the US, particularly in the cities of Philadelphia, Boston, and Baltimore.
In Germany, the Gehrloff surname is mostly concentrated in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the surrounding area, though there are also smaller populations in other regions such as Bavaria and Lower Saxony.
In Austria, the surname is concentrated in the state of Lower Austria but can also be found in other parts of the country with smaller populations.
In addition to these main countries, there are also small populations of individuals with the Gehrloff surname in France, Poland, Switzerland, and other European countries. However, the numbers of individuals with this surname outside of Germany and the United States remain relatively low.
Variations of the surname Gehrloff
The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Gehrloff include Gerloff, Gehroff, Garloff, Garlow, Gehrel of, Garlev, Gerlaff, Gerlouf, Geroff, Gerolf, Gerloff, Gerloh, Gehrof, Gerlow, Garlow, Gerloffe, Gerleh, Garlaff, Gahrlaff, Garleh,Garlo, Gahrlof, Garloof, Garlov, Garloph, Gahrloff, Gahrlof, Gehrleff, Gehrlow, Gehrlo, Gehreloff, Gehrehlo, Gehrloh, Gehrloe, Gehrehoff, Gehrlaff, Gehrlog, Gerolv, Gero, Geroll, Gerov, Gerelof, Geroffa, Gereloof, Geroluf, Gerloof, Gerouf, Gerlowf, Gerolvf, and Garloff.
Gehrloff is derived from the German name “Garl” and the suffix “-off” which is used to denote that a person is a descendent or related to someone with that name. The variants and spellings of Gehrloff all follow the same pattern, incorporating the same base name with variant suffixes. For example, Gerlaff, Gehreloff, Garlaff, and Gerloffe all contain the “Gar-” prefix but end with “-laff”, “-eloff”, “-laff”, and “-offe” respectively. This pattern can be seen across all of the variants and spellings of Gehrloff.
As the “-off” suffix in Gehrloff is used to indicate that a person is related to someone with that name, many of the variants and surnames of the same origin have been changed and adapted to reflect this relationship. For example, Gerlo, Gahrlof, and Garloof all contain the base name of “Gar”, as well as the “-lo” suffix which is used to denote that a person is a descendent or relation. Similarly, Gerloph, Gahrloff, and Gehrloe all contain the base name and the “-loph”, “-loff”, and “-loe” suffixes respectively which are used to denote relationships.
Famous people with the name Gehrloff
- Ziggy Gehrloff: a former professional German footballer who played for the German National Team in the 1970s and 1980s
- Siemon Gehrloff: a famous German-American violinist of the 19th century
- Margot Gehrloff: a well-known German painter active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
- Jürgen Gehrloff: a well-known German television presenter and stage actor
- Hans-Peter Gehrloff: a noted German sculptor active in the late 20th and early 21st centuries
- Uwe Gehrloff: a prominent German contemporary artist
- Manfred Gehrloff: a popular German musician and record producer
- Boris Gehrloff: a German photographer and filmmaker
- Nicola Gehrloff: a German contemporary painter and sculptor
- Friedrich Gehrloff: a prominent German architect active in the early 20th century