Information on last name Geras

David_GThreads: 1 Joined: Apr 5, 10 ♂	Apr 5, 10, 16:08 #1
One of my ancestors had the last name Geras. This certainly doesn't sound like a Polish name. My family believes that the name originates from an ancestor that might have moved from Lithuania to Poland. This could have happened during 1800s but I'm not sure. Anyone know much about this surname? Sincerely, David from Ontario

Polonius3Threads: 1,005 Posts: 4,833 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Apr 5, 10, 20:20 #2
GERAS: probably short for Gerasym, the Ukrainian equivalent of the first name Harasim or Harasym; the Lithuanian conenction cannot be ruled out since nearly all Lithuanian surnames end in -s. IRA: probably from ir or irzyk (also jurzyk, jerzyk), archaic term for a bird of the sparrow family

richasisThreads: 5 Posts: 833 Joined: Jul 25, 09 ♂	Apr 6, 10, 03:25 #3
I definitively know the name GERAS to be derived from (the Russian name) GERASIMOVICH. However, this is not to say there aren't other possibilities. Hope this helps - Good Luck! :)

Polonius3Threads: 1,005 Posts: 4,833 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Apr 6, 10, 09:00 #4
GIERASIMOWICZ and Harasymowicz (and probably a few other variants) exist in today's Poland. You only gave Geras, and that was all I had to go on. Obviously the -wicz ending is of patronymic origin and means 'son of Gierasim'. The G version defintiely indicates eastern (Russian, Urkainian, Belarussian) origin.

Geras

Jul 24, 11, 20:07 #5

I know this is an old thread but my last name is Geras. My Grandfather's family left Russia in 1907 and came to the USA. When they arrived the name was shortened from "Gerasimenko". According to different documents I have, my family lived in an Oblast near the border of the Ukraine and Belarus.

Geras is a Greek word that means "noble elder". Geras was also the Greek God of old age. I think it is possible that Geras' came from Greece to Eastern Europe at some point in the 1800's, but I haven't done enough research into that to be sure yet.

Hope that helps some. If you want to email me you can at Geras.Catherine (at) gmail.com and we can trade other information.

- Cat

Polonius3Threads: 1,005 Posts: 4,833 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Jul 24, 11, 21:38 #6
GERAS/GIERAS: This surname is probably derived from the old Polish first name Gerwazy (English: Jarvis). St Gervasius was a 1st-century bishop of Milan, who died a marytr's death along with his twin brother Protasius (Protazy in Polish).

NathanThreads: 33 Posts: 1,846 Joined: Feb 13, 09 ♂	Jul 24, 11, 22:04 #7
they arrived the name was shortened from "Gerasimenko" -ko and -enko are the typical Ukrainian last names endings like in: Klitschko, Shevchenko, Voronenko etc. The fact that you said they arrived from the oblast close to the Ukrainian-Belorus border supports the hypothesis. Do you know what oblast?

Polonius3Threads: 1,005 Posts: 4,833 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Jul 25, 11, 11:51 #8
The -ko ending is not only Ukrainian but All-Ruthenian including Belarusian. Kościuszko had no links to Ukraine but grew up in a Polish-Lithuanian-Belarusian envrionment. The name is an endearing form of Konstanty comparable to the English Connie.

NathanThreads: 33 Posts: 1,846 Joined: Feb 13, 09 ♂	Jul 25, 11, 13:33 #9
The -ko ending is not only Ukrainian but All-Ruthenian including Belarusian. Agreed.

Geras	Oct 5, 11, 09:41 #10
According to a birth certificate and baptismal certificate I have, my Grandfather's parents came from Bryansk Oblast, Russia in 1907.

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