Surname Guerny - Meaning and Origin
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Guerny: What does the surname Guerny mean?
The last name Guerny is of French origin and most likely derived from the French given name Guillaume. The surname Guerny was likely created from the personal name Guillaume along with an additional suffix, such as -erny or -ernay, which are common when forming French surnames.
The meaning of the last name Guerny can be interpreted as "son of (Guillaume)." In some cases, the suffix -ernay was used to indicate that the bearer was a nephew of the named individual. Thus, this surname may have originally been used to refer to the descendants of a specific Guillaume.
In some cases, the Guerny surname may have been altered from a place name of French origin with a similar sound such as Gournay, or possibly Gournay-en-Bray, a commune in the Seine Maritime department of France.
The descendants of the original bearer of the name Guerny live in both France and the United States. Many families who carry the Guerny surname today have French roots. In the US, the Guerny surname is particularly found in Louisiana, and through this area’s French influence, the name may have spread throughout the southern states. Additionally, there are several notable individuals with the last name Guerny, including the French film director and screenwriter Philippe Guerny.
Order DNA origin analysisGuerny: Where does the name Guerny come from?
The surname Guerny is most common in France today, where it originated. It is also present in some other parts of Europe and in places around the world that have been settled by French immigrants.
The earliest evidence of the Guerny surname appears in France during the 13th century. The de Guerny family held the large estates of Milly-la-Forêt in the department of Essonne. During the 15th century, further branches of the family name appear in other parts of France and by the late 16th century the name had spread as far as Brittany and the south-west.
Today, the surname Guerny is most common in the south-western region of France in the departments of the Lot-et-Garonne, Gironde and Dordogne. It can also be found in modest numbers in other parts of Europe and in countries such as Canada, United States and Brazil that have significant populations of French-born immigrants.
The Guerny surname is also seen in other forms in some parts of the world, including Gurney, Guerney and Guernay. However, the original French spelling of the name remains the most common form today.
Variations of the surname Guerny
The Guerny surname has several variations, spellings and surnames of the same origin. Derivatives of the surname include Gurny, Gourne, Gorney, Gurney, Gorny, Gournet and similar.
The surname Guerny can derive from a French name ‘Guinier’, which originates from the Old French ‘wignierre’ and was the name of a type of conspiring adviser employed by French kings in the middle ages. The French form of the surname is ‘Guerny’ or ‘Guerney’.
Other derivative spellings of the surname come from ancient English, such as ‘Gurney’ and ‘Gorney’, which are thought to be derived from the Middle English ‘gurnel’, meaning ‘fierce’ or ‘stout’. The Olde English form of the name is ‘Gofyn’.
The Welsh form of the surname is ‘Gournet’, derived from the Old Welsh ‘Gurnod’, meaning ‘a chasm’ and the Cornish form is ‘Gourne’ which likely has a similar origin.
The Guerny surname is also commonly found verbatim in Germany, where it is spelt ‘Gurny’. The German ancestral word ‘Gurn’, meaning ‘spiral’ was likely coined in the Middle Ages and came to form the basis of this spelling variant.
Therefore, the Guerny surname has many different variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. Examples include Gurny, Gourne, Gorney, Gurney, Gorny, Gournet, Guinier, Gofyn, German and Cornish. Each of these derivatives can ultimately be traced back to a single origin.
Famous people with the name Guerny
- Jean-Charles Guerny: Professional soccer player for “FC Lorient” in France.
- Montserrat Guerny: An actress from Spain best known for her roles in films such as “A Walk in the Clouds” and “The Highwayman.”
- Pierre-Gilles Guerny: French engineer and founding member of the Association Française pour l’Histoire de l’Ingénierie.
- Birgitte Guerny: Danish actress, best known for her roles in “Labyrinth” and “Borgen”.
- Didier Guerny: French actor, singer, and playwright, best known for his performance in “The Other End of the Tunnel.”
- Giulio Guerny: Italian actor best known for his role in “The American President.”
- Marie-Anne Guerny: French-Canadian novelist and playwright.
- Harry Guerny: American professional baseball player and former coach.
- Alain Guerny: Belgian politician and historian, and the former president of the Euroregion Meuse-Rhenish.
- Julie Guerny: French actress and writer, best known for her role in “The Suitors.”