New Post
Search
Help
ArchivesThe German surname "Gallwas"
My grandmother's family had the surname of Gallwas. They were from Germany and she had family that she said had recently come from Germany (in her lifetime). However, in all German records I cannot find any place, anywhere, that documents a family existed with this surname. Apparently a Friedrich August was sired in 1829 by a Philip Gallwas who was a potter in Dresden. I have no understanding of why I cannot find this name absolutely anywhere! There are now numerous families of Gallwas in the U.S. but none that were found before this date! I do not know the background for this name further since now almost all my relatives on this family side are now dead. Does anyone have any ideas if this name Gallwas was actually a distortion for an entirely different looking surname??
1
Replies
Oh my goodness, I just saw your post of reply. I had not looked at this posting for a number of years because I thought no one had replied recently. What I wanted to know was more about Philip's ancestry. For example, I would love to know who was his mother and father. You can also email me with any information at mjburnash@gmail.com
1
The sister site for surnames is here: http://surnames.behindthename.com/
1
Here's a completely unsourced an unproven idea:
Maybe it is a phonetic respelling of the French surname Galois (Huguenot emigration to Eastern Germany or even Russia?)
--elbowin
Maybe it is a phonetic respelling of the French surname Galois (Huguenot emigration to Eastern Germany or even Russia?)
--elbowin
1
You can use the site http://www.gen-evolu.de/ to search German phone books for Gallwas (also try the spelling variant Galwas). There are some phones registered to that name, but with no particular geographical pattern.
Alltho' I'm German I have no ideas on the name origin and meaning.
Alltho' I'm German I have no ideas on the name origin and meaning.
1
Thanks for your reply!
Today there is in Germany the surname "Gallwas," but in the thousands of archives I have looked through, there were no Gallwas in the 19th century. Thus, I am not able to trace the person on my family tree.
The URL you sent me I have seen before, but I have been mystified over the present day usage of this name since there are none in ANY archive within the years of the 1800's -1900's for which I am searching.
Thanks for your help!
Today there is in Germany the surname "Gallwas," but in the thousands of archives I have looked through, there were no Gallwas in the 19th century. Thus, I am not able to trace the person on my family tree.
The URL you sent me I have seen before, but I have been mystified over the present day usage of this name since there are none in ANY archive within the years of the 1800's -1900's for which I am searching.
Thanks for your help!
1