Garber
A surname often linked to German names built on the old root for “spear,” though in some cases it may simply be a spelling variant of Gerber.
The #2,850 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 24,426 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is usually treated as a German surname, but its exact origin is not always certain. In historical surname studies it is often connected with names built on the old Germanic element ger, meaning “spear,” as in personal names such as Gerbert or Garibald. Other sources also note Garber as a variant or reduced spelling of Gerber, so the surname may have more than one source in different families.
History
The surname appears in German-language naming traditions and later spread through migration to North America and other English-speaking regions. Because similar-looking forms could arise from several related German names, different Garber families may not share the same original source. The name is well established in the United States today.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The old Germanic root behind one common explanation of Garber is the same spear element found in many medieval German personal names.
From the historical record
“gär „Ger, Wurfspeer". FN. Garibald: Gerbald; Gerbet; Gerbel. Garibert: Garber — Gerbracht; Gerbert. Gen. Garbers. Patr. A. Gerberding. Gerbodo: Garbade ^ Gerbode; Ger- both; Gerpott.”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen