Ray's Genealogy Page - Gurganus Origins & Spellings

From what I have gathered thus far, it seems that all Gurganus lines merge into one tree descending from Francis Gurganus who immigrated from southeast VA in the early 1600's to Albemarle Co NC. View a chart on Gurganus's linked as his descendants thus far. One theory is that he descended from Edward Gurgany who immigrated from England, but this is pure speculation as far as I know. There may have also been other Gurgany's who came over from England. In any case, I don't believe the name is English, as there are very, very few Gurgany's in England at the time. More information on Edward Gurgany.

So where did "Gurganus" come from? Whichever country it might have been, it is difficult to trace as the spelling of the name probably changes again with the change in languages. I have heard many speculuations, but none as yet based on any solid evidence: Wales, Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, Europe, Lithuania, Greece, Hungary, Turkey, and Iran

Wales: The most promising lead (being based on actual data) is that the name may be of Welsh origin. The following is from the book Welsh Surnames by T.J. Morgan, University of Wales Press, 1985, found in the Library of Congress, Washington DC:

Gwrgenau, Gwrgi: The components of this compound name are gwr, "man" ('fighter' in martial context) and cenau, "whelp, young dog", often used in heroic poetry for a soldier ferocious in attack; cf. Gwrgi "man-hound" ... The following specimens represent the various spellings:
Name	Source listed in the aforementioned book
Gurcenau, Gurcenou	G.T. Clark Cartae et alia munimenta
Gorgenau vaghan	Bulletin of the Board of the Celtic Studies (Cardiff 1921)
Meydoc ap Gorgenau	same
Gorgeyn ab David	same
Tuder ab Gurgenneu	same
Craddock ab Gorgeny	same
Gurgeney ab Kediuor	same
Howel ab Gorgenou	same
Gurgenu Coyt Maur	Keith Williams Jones The Merioneth Lay Subsidy Roll 1292-3
Gruffydd ap Grogeneu	J Goronwy Edwards A Calendar of Ancient Correpondence
Gurgenon	G.E.A. Raspin Transcript and Descriptive List of the Medieval Court Rolls of the March Lordship of Clun (unpublished University of London diploma thesis, August 1963)
Gurgene	same
Gurgene	J.W. Willis-Bund The Black Book of St Davids
Gurgen'	same (with sign of name abbreviated)
Gurgen	same

Other sources mention that "w" in Welsh is pronounced like a "u". Also, some sources list members Edward Gurgany's family as being born in Wales.

A linguist and lexicographer Patrick Hanks emailed me that he is "sure the name is Welsh. (though what Edward was doing in Creeksea, Essex, is anybody's guess. It's on the wrong side of England for a Welshman.)"

He continues, "There were, of course, no Lithuanians or Greeks in North America in the early 17th century. And the linguistic forms are OK, too. One has to bear in mind that, up to the time of Samuel Johnson in England (1755) and Noah Webster in the USA (1805, 1828), the notion of "correct" spelling was rather vague. Most people didn't use writing very often and many couldn't write at all. Spelling of surnames is notoriously variable, but the patterns of variation are generally regular - as here. Reduction (e.g. to Gainus) is a common feature, and the -s is easily explained as an English patronymic ending tacked on to a Welsh base. (Compare Evan --> Evans and Owen --> Owens)."

"But if the name had originated in Essex, it would have to be of Middle English, Old French, or (just possibly) Old Norse origin. It's simply the wrong shape for any of those. I can't find any evidence of the surname in England... If the record of Edward G. in Essex [now believed to be Buckinghamshire -RG] is correct, I expect he was just passing through."

Also, Dictionary of American Family Names says it is "Of Welsh origin: from an Anglicized form of the personal name Gwrgenau, composed of the elements gwr 'man', 'warrior' + cenau 'whelp', 'young dog', a term used in Welsh heroic poetry for a soldier ferocious in attack."

Germany
- Click on the image to the right for a full page view. Detailed in the picture is that the name is of German ancestry, but it sounds a little too speculative to me.
- Also, on a CD that came with my genealogy software Generations a surname index says about the Gurganus name: "The name is thought to have been derived from: the descendent of Gunter (war, bold)".
- Also, another researcher emailed me about an old, old German cemetery in Lake Charles, Louisiana that has Gurganus's buried there.
- From another researcher: "there is good cause why said name of John Edward Gurganious should be changed to John Edward Moore, as the surname, Gurganious, is hard to pronounce, hard to remember, and causes continuous annoyance, and that said petitioner is informed that same is of German origin, and that when giving his true name to strangers, he invariably has to explain his nationality, and the fact that he is an American born citizen."
France: Another speculation I have heard is that they were French Huguenots fleeing to England to escape religious persecution.
Italy: On the east coast of Italy is a region named "Testa del Gargano", and Mt. Gargano, anciently spelled Garganus (seen on a 1784 map of Italy). To the right is part of a map of the same area. This was painted in the 1580's and is hanging in the Gallery of Maps in the Vatican Museum in Rome. It reads "Garganvs Mons". If anyone knows where to find a full and clearer image, let me know!
Europe: There is a European water bird of the duck family, called a Garganey. - Leroy Buck Gurganus.
Lithuania
Greece: Another commerical service H e r i t a g e A r t s claims "GURGANUS is derived from the greek personal name GEORGIOS - meaning 'farmer'"... and one researcher emailed me: "my grandparents on the Gurganus side always referred to roots in Greece and Greek heritage"; Another researcher posted at www.familyhistory.com "My grandmother always said some of her family were from Greece near Ionian Islands"
Hungary: There is a family legend that Benjamin (Gur)Ganus' father-in-law threatened to dis-own his daughter because the Gurganus name was Hungarian, prompting Benjamin to shorten his name to Ganus. More research to come.
Turkey: In Turkish dictionary Gurgan there are few different meanings. 1- a beech tree, 2- a town in Northeast Iran, and nickname of Timur. Gurgene might with "e" at the end mean 'from gurgen'.
Iran: 185 ENE of Teheran, Iran is a place named Gurgan and was until 1938 the capital of the Province of Gurgan. - Leroy Buck Gurganus
England, 7th Century: Mentioned in "The Medieval Sourcebook: The Life of St Columbian" is a Gurganus... and in The History of Britain by John Milton is mentioned a Guorangonus

Spelling Variations

Other known from various sources are:

Garganes	Garganis	Garganus	Gargany	Gerganess	Gerganious
Gorganas	Gorgayn	Gorgon	Gourgaing	Gourgainy	Gurgainey
Gurganeous	Gurganey	Gurganious	Gurganis	Gurganous	Gurgany
Gurgaynie	Gurgenus	Gurgeny	Gurgeyney	Gurgeynie	Gurgeyny
Gurgeynye	Gurgunye	Gurgyn	Virgania	Virgany

Ganus Connections

A few people with the name Gurganus have been known to shorten the name to Ganus, or had children with the name Ganus:

And then there's this more humorous link. Not sure where it came from, but interesting nonetheless...

This page will be updated as more information is found.

Footnote: From a Hellenic Seed: 375 Years of American Heritage by Leroy Buck Gurganus, © 1983, printed by Duverus Publishing Corporation.