Gehrke
A North German surname, likely a short pet-form built from old Germanic names beginning with Ger- or Gehr-.
The #7,915 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 73,863 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Gehrke is generally treated as a German diminutive or pet form from older personal names containing the element ger/geir, meaning "spear." The same root appears in many Germanic names, and the historical sources group Gehrke with forms such as Gericke and Gerke. In this line of interpretation, the surname began as a shortened form of a given name rather than from a place or occupation.
History
The name is especially associated with northern German naming patterns, where -ke is a common diminutive ending. Historical surname collections place Gehrke alongside related forms such as Gerke, Gericke, and Gehrkens, suggesting a family of regional variants. It is now found beyond Germany through migration, including in the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The first element behind this surname, ger-, is one of the oldest and most widespread building blocks in Germanic personal names, often carrying the martial sense of a spear.
From the historical record
“miah. Ferguson says Gerken corresponds with a G. Gherken, which he classes with the 0. H. G. Gericho, Mod. G. Gericke, Gehrke, Gerke, and derives from A. S. gar a spear, 0. N. geir, 0. S. and 0. Fries, ger. GIDDY. An ancient Cornish family, formerly written Gedy, Geddey, Gidey, &c. Possibly a nurse name of Gideon.…”
— Ludus Patronymicus; or, the etymology of curious surnames