Gervais Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Gervais last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Gervais last name
Meaning of the Gervais last name: from Saint Gervasius. Gervais is a French surname taken from the baptismal name Gervais, honouring Saint Gervasius, a martyr of Milan honoured with his twin Protasius. The last name spread through northern France and on to Quebec. Comedian Ricky Gervais inherited this surname from his French-Canadian father.
Arms associated with the Gervais name
In France a coat of arms was used by town families and merchants as well as knights, and heraldry associated with the Gervais name belongs to that wide tradition.
Get your full Gervais family history
This is only a glimpse of the Gervais story. The full Gervais history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Gervais coat of arms. Get the full Gervais report.
Gervais name FAQ
What does the Gervais name mean?
From Saint Gervasius. Common variants include Gervaise, Jarvis.
Where does the Gervais surname come from?
It originates in France, and is also found in Canada, Belgium and Switzerland.
Is there a Gervais coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Gervais coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Albert Dauzat & Marie-Thérèse Morlet, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).