Surname Girlach - Meaning and Origin
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Girlach: What does the surname Girlach mean?
The last name Girlach is a Jewish surname of German origin. It is derived from the Old German word "Girleah", which means "a village in a young wood." The Girlach family is believed to have originated from the German state of Hanover, where a lot of Jewish families lived in the 16th and 17th centuries before their spread to other European countries.
The Girlach family likely had roots in the Jewish tradition, as they were probably from a religious family originally. The Girlach family is believed to have migrated to the Netherlands, Belgium, and other parts of Europe, influenced by the pogroms of the late 18th and 19th centuries. In the Netherlands, the Girlach surname was Germanized from Girleah to Girlach.
The Girlach family today can be found in various parts of the world. Despite being dislocated and scattered due to centuries of persecution, many members of the Girlach family still keep in touch through various organizations and family reunion events. It is a name that is associated with strength, courage, and a deep-held commitment to religion and culture.
Order DNA origin analysisGirlach: Where does the name Girlach come from?
Today, the last name Girlach is mainly found in Israel. It is a relatively rare name, with the Central Bureau of Statistics in Israel estimating only 305 namesakes as of January 2020.
The name likely has origins in the Jewish Ashkenazi tradition and could be a variant of Galach, which is derived from the Hebrew and Yiddish words גאָלאַך (gálakh) or געלאַך (geylakh). Alternatively, it might be related to the German word "gelich," meaning "equal."
The name is also found in other parts of the world, including Central Europe, North Africa, and the United States. In Germany, the name Girlach appears in records as early as the 1700s. In the United States, the SSDI, or Social Security Death Index, shows some instances of the name Girlach as far back as 1911.
Today, the people with last name Girlach remain most closely associated with Israel. As the country's population continues to grow, it's likely that the Girlach name will become even more common there in the coming years.
Variations of the surname Girlach
Girlach is a German, Swiss, and Jewish toponymic surname derived from a place name, most likely derived from a Middle High German word meaning "soil or earth." Variants include Giroch, Girau, Giroch, Girnau, Giro, Gierau, and Giroux. Girlach appears to be a unique surname, for which no other variations or spellings exist.
Jewish families bearing the Girlach surname originated in the German-speaking parts of Europe prior to the middle of the 19th century. There are notable people with the surname Girlach hailing from Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Italy, Austria, and the Netherlands; the majority, however, are found in the United States.
Though historically found across German-speaking regions, there is likely no direct claim to a single German origin. A Swiss-German variant of the surname is Giroch, likely referring to a place near Berne or Zurich, but so far no records of this place have been located.
The Girlach surname may be the same origin as the popular French-Canadian Giroux and German-American Giroux surnames. While both Giroux and Girlach share a common etymological origin, there is no evidence of any connection or relationship between these two families.
Girlach is a toponymic surname, and therefore, it is unlikely that any variant spelling, transliteration, or French surname versions exist. Today, it remains a somewhat rare family name, found scattered across Europe, Australia, North America, and certain parts of Central America and South Asia.
Famous people with the name Girlach
- Simon Girgash, Australian Businessman and Entrepreneur
- Tara Girgach, Sports Journalist
- David Girgach, Basketball Coach
- Sergey Girgach, Russian Chess Grandmaster
- Andrei Girgach, Russian Football Midfielder
- Vince Girgach, Canadian Paralympic Racer
- Alex Girgach, Singer and Songwriter
- Yury Girgach, Russian Olympic Wrestler
- Alla Girgach, Ukrainian-American Artist
- Jaroslav Girgach, Ukrainian Businessman
- Dmytro Girgach, Ukrainian Politician
- Odessa Girgach, Icelandic Musician
- Natalia Girgach, Russian Actress
- Irina Girgach, Ukrainian Figure Skater
- Slava Girgach, Ukrainian Footballer
- Nikolay Girgach, Belarusian Cybersport Commentator
- Zivko Girgach, Polish-Australian Musician
- Jiří Girgach, Czech Footballer
- Natalya Girgach, Ukrainian Writer and Translator
- Eugene Girgach, Russian Author