Recorded in a number of spellings including Geibel, Geipel, Geippel, Geypel, Gipel, and possibly others, this is a surname of pre - medieval Germanic origins. It derives from an early pre 7th century personal name Giplo or Gipel, whose meaning is obscure, but is almost certainly yet another derivative of the popular name Gilbert, itself a shortened form of "Gisil-beort," meaning noble youth. There are at least fifty known variations of Gilbert some including Geipelt being very close to this surname under reaserch. As to when Geipel as a surname was first recorded is unclear, but the German dictionary of surnames known as Etymologisches Worterbruch der Deutchem Familiennamen gives as their example that of Ludwig Geypel of Schollkrippen in the year 1540. This is rather later than one might expect, but we have not been able to find an earlier example in the surviving church registers of Germany. These examples include Jakob Geipel of Zwickau, Sachsen, on February 8th 1632, and Henrich Geibel of Finckenbach, Bayern, on October 10th 1825. The coat of arms is from Munich and has a blue fleur de lis on a white field.

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