Surname Görlitzer - Meaning and Origin

Görlitzer: What does the surname Görlitzer mean?

The last name Görlitzer is derived from the German city of Görlitz. It is believed to indicate that the original bearer of the last name had come from that city, or had some connection with it. The city itself is located in what are today the states of Saxony and Brandenburg in Germany.

The name Görlitz itself is derived from the Sorbian language, derived from the Sorbs, a West Slavic ethnic minority found in the region. Its translation in the language is "small hill with a fortress”, which is likely a reference to the city’s position on a hill above the Neisse River.

The name Görlitzer is an occupational name. It is likely to have been originally borne by someone who worked in the city’s castle, which was built in 1140, or associated with the surrounding area. It could also be used to describe somebody who may have been a merchant or a trader in the market area of the city.

The last name is quite uncommon; its original bearers have either moved to different places or have died out, leaving few with this last name today. However, the history of the family can still be traced back to the place that gave the last name its origin—the city of Görlitz.

Görlitzer: Where does the name Görlitzer come from?

The last name Görlitzer is most commonly found in Eastern European countries, specifically Germany and Poland. The name is of German origin, meaning "from Görlitz".

Görlitz is a city and the administrative seat of the Görlitz district in the German state of Saxony. The city has around 55,000 inhabitants and is located in the far northeast of Saxony, close to the border with Poland. It is part of the Upper Lusatian hill region, located along both sides of the Neisse River, a tributary of the Oder.

In Germany, the name is common in Saxony as well as Lower Franconia, Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Schleswig-Holstein, and several other states. According to official records, more than 2000 people are registered under the name Görlitzer in Germany.

In Poland, the name is mainly found in the Silesian Voivodeship, which borders the German state of Saxony. Görlitz is only around 18 km away from the Polish border, and many separatist Germans emigrated to Poland during the time of the Second World War. Therefore, the Görlitzer surname is widely spread across the city of Głogów Małopolski and the surrounding area in Poland.

Overall, the name Görlitzer is relatively common in several Eastern European countries. With the increasing focus on family history, genealogy, and ancestry research, the name has become more common in other countries as well.

Variations of the surname Görlitzer

Görlitzer is a German surname which originated in the Saxon city of Görlitz in Saxony, Germany. Variations of the surname can range from "Goerlitzer," "Görlitz" and "Görlitzi" to "Goerlitser, Görletser" and "Goerletser," as well as other minor variants.

The spelling of Görlitzer can also be altered depending on the country or language to “Gorlitzer,” "Gurlitzer," "Gørlitzer," "Gørlitz," "Goerlitz" and "Goerlitzer," or even "Görletser" or "Görletzer" in some cases.

In addition to this, Görlitzer is a common Jewish surname, which was historically pronounced as “Kurlitzer” and, as such, is spelled differently. The surname is also rendered as "Gurlizter," "Kurlitzer," "Korlitzer," "Körlizer," "Kōrlitzer” or even "Curlytzer.”

Other variants of the surname include "Goerle,” “Goerles” and "Goerlis” in Austria, "Kerlesh" in Ukraine, "Kirlitser" in Belarus and "Karlytser" in Poland.

Among the oldest known bearers of the Görlitzer surname were Johann and Barbara Görlitzer, who owned a pub in Görlitz in the early 17th century.

The most prominent current bearer of the Görlitzer surname is German actor, Julien Görlitzer.

Famous people with the name Görlitzer

• Júlia Görlitzer: An Argentinian actress.
• Buck Görlitzer: An American movie director.
• Ruth Görlitzer: German writer, journalist and film producer.
• Christoph Görlitzer: German musician.
• Willy Görlitzer: German actor and composer.
• Silvia Görlitzer: Austrian child actress and singer.
• Anna Görlitzer: Brazilian actress.
• Jonas Görlitzer: German actor.
• Paul Görlitzer: Swiss composer.
• Valentin Görlitzer: German sculptor and wood carver.
• Johann Görlitzer: German actor.
• Friedrich Görlitzer: German artist.
• Mark Görlitzer: American photographer and director.
• Jan Görlitzer: Czech composer.
• Marie-Luise Görlitzer: German painter and graphic artist.

Other surnames

Görlitz