Gerber Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Gerber last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Gerber coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Gerber last name
Meaning of the Gerber last name: "tanner". Gerber is a German surname for a tanner, from Middle High German gerwer, "one who prepares leather". Tanning was smelly work done at the edge of town by a river. The last name is very common in Switzerland, Alsace and southwest Germany.
Arms associated with the Gerber name
German heraldry favours bold, simple shapes, so a coat of arms associated with Gerber reads at a distance.
Get your full Gerber family history
This is only a glimpse of the Gerber story. The full Gerber 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 Gerber coat of arms. Get the full Gerber report.
Gerber name FAQ
What does the Gerber name mean?
"tanner". Common variants include Gerbert, Gärber.
Where does the Gerber surname come from?
It originates in Switzerland, and is also found in Germany, the United States and France.
Is there a Gerber coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Gerber coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Duden Familiennamen; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).