Surname Giphart - Meaning and Origin
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Giphart: What does the surname Giphart mean?
The last name Giphart likely has Dutch origins. It is thought to be derived from an old Dutch personal name "Gijsbrecht", which is a combination of two earlier Germanic personal names, "Gīs" meaning “spear” and "berht" meaning “bright”. As such, Giphart would have meant “spear with the bright one”.
Originally, those bearing the name were likely primarily found in the northern Dutch provinces in the Gelderland and Overijssel regions, where most of the early records for the surname first appeared. Later, with the general population of the Dutch provinces, those who bore the name began to spread out to other regions of the Netherlands.
Today the name is most commonly found in Holland, but has become distributed throughout the world due to Dutch emigration. Those with the name are now widely distributed throughout Europe, North America, South America, Australia and New Zealand.
Giphart is an old Dutch family name that likely originated as an occupational or descriptive name for someone that bore a spear, or was associated with a spear in some fashion. It likely meant “spear with the bright one” originally, but its meaning has since been lost to time.
Order DNA origin analysisGiphart: Where does the name Giphart come from?
The last name Giphart is most common today in the Netherlands and the surrounding countries. It is a Dutch surname and has been recorded in this region since the 16th century. This is a patronymic family name, meaning it is derived from the personal name of an ancestor. In this instance, the name derives from the given name of the ancestor "Giph."
Giphart began to spread across the Netherlands around the 19th century. During this time, many people emigrated from the Low Countries to the United States, with some bringing their surname with them. As a consequence, the name Giphart can also be found in America, mostly concentrated in the midwestern states such as Ohio and Michigan. Today, Gipharts are spread across the world, but the majority are still found primarily in the Netherlands, Germany, and the United States.
The Giphart surname can be found in records dating back centuries, including baptismal registers, birth certificates, and census records. The oldest Giphart record dates back to the 16th century, when Giphart van Herwerden was born in Amsterdam. He had six sons, with the eldest, Jan Giphart, going on to become a recognized and successful doctor.
Variations of the surname Giphart
The surname Giphart is a very uncommon one, but it does have a few variants and spellings in different languages.
In Dutch, the surname Giphart is also spelled Giffart, Gephart, and Gefart. Likewise, in German it is also spelled Giffart, Giffhardt, Gephart and Gefard. In French, it is encompased as Giffard, Gifard, Gefard, and Gaffard.
Within the Netherlands and Belgium, Giphart can also be found spelled as Jiphart, Jephart, and Jepharc.
The surname has many derivatives in other international countries as well. For instance, in Poland, the surname is spelled as Giffaart and Giphardt. Similarly, in Norway it is found as Gifard. In Prussia, it is spelled as Giphartt, Gyfard, Gifardi and Gifardt, and in England Giffard, Gifford, Gifferd, Giffardt and Gifferd are the variants.
The name Giphart is found in many parts of Europe and is of Dutch origin. It is thought to derive from the Old-High German personal name Gifard, and the French terms "guifard" or "giffard" which mean son of chariot.
Overall, the surname Giphart is rare, but its variants and spellings prove that there are still some people bearing it in different countries.
Famous people with the name Giphart
- Robert Giphart: Dutch writer, actor and director
- Jannes Giphart: Dutch composer
- Marnix Giphart: Dutch writer and illustrator
- Esther Giphart: Dutch television presenter
- Simone Giphart: Dutch author
- Saskia Giphart: Dutch novelist
- Moses Giphart: Dutch actor
- Willem Giphart: Dutch attorney, politician and writer
- Roel Giphart: Dutch writer and diplomat
- Louis Giphart: Dutch sculptor
- Paul Giphart: Dutch composer and musician