Gervais (; ), or Gervaise, is an English and French name of Old French origin. The name in English was inherited via Norman, and is ultimately derived from the Proto-Germanic Gervas, which is composed of the elements ("spear") and an unknown second element, possibly a borrowing from the Celtic -wass ("servant, vassal"). The name Jarvis is derived from Gervais(e), and it is latinized as Gervasius. The popularity of the name owes to Saint Gervasius (), martyred alongside Protasius in Milan. Notable people with the name include:
Given name
Middle Ages
- Gervase Alard (1270âÂÂ1340), Admiral of the Cinque Ports Fleet and Admiral of the Western Fleet of the English Navy
- Gervase of Bazoches (died 1108), crusader and Prince of Galilee
- Gervase of Besançon (died 685), saint and a bishop of Besançon
- Gervase of Blois (died c. 1157), Abbot of Westminster in England
- Gervase of Canterbury (c. 1141âÂÂc. 1210), English chronicler
- Gervais de Château-du-Loir (1007âÂÂ1067), French nobleman and bishop
- Gervase de Cornhill (c. 1110âÂÂc. 1183), Anglo-Norman royal official and sheriff
- Gervase of Ebstorf (fl. 1234-1240), author of the Ebstorf Map created c. 1234; possibly the same man as Gervase of Tilbury
- Gervase of Melkley (born c. 1185, fl. 1200âÂÂ1219), French scholar and poet
- Gervais, Count of Rethel (fl. 11th century), French archbishop and nobleman
- Gervase of Tilbury (c. 1150âÂÂc. 1228), English chronicler
Early modern era
- Gervase Babington (1549/1550âÂÂ1610), Bishop of Llandaff, Bishop of Exeter and Bishop of Worcester
- Gervais Baudouin (c. 1645âÂÂ1700), French physician
- Sir Gervase Elwes, 1st Baronet (1628âÂÂ1706), English Member of Parliament
- Gervase Elwes, junior (c.âÂÂ1657âÂÂc.âÂÂ1687), English Member of Parliament, son of the 1st baronet
- Gervase Holles (1607âÂÂ1675), English lawyer, antiquarian and Member of Parliament
- Gervais de La Rue (1751âÂÂ1835), French historian
- Gervase Markham (1568?âÂÂ1637), English poet and writer
- Gervais Parker (1695âÂÂ1750), British Army officer
Late modern era
- Gervais Batota (born 1982), Congolese footballer
- Gervase Beckett (1866âÂÂ1937), British banker and Member of Parliament
- Gervaise Cooke (1911âÂÂ1976), British Royal Navy officer and Naval Secretary
- Gervais Djondo (born c. 1934), Togolese entrepreneur
- Gervase Elwes (1866âÂÂ1921), English tenor
- Gervais Emmanuel Ducasse (1903âÂÂ1988), Haitian painter
- Gervais Gindre (born 1927), French cross country skier and Olympic competitor
- Gervais Henrie (born 1972), Seychellois politician
- Gervas Huxley (1894âÂÂ1971), British soldier and author
- Gervase Jackson-Stops (1947âÂÂ1995), English architectural historian
- Gervais Martel (born 1954), French businessman and football club president
- Gervais Nolan (1796âÂÂ1857), Canadian fur trapper
- Gervase Peterson (born 1969), American contestant on the show Survivor
- Gervase de Peyer (born 1926), English clarinettist and conductor
- Gervase Phinn (born 1946), English author and educator
- Gervas Pierrepont, 6th Earl Manvers (1881âÂÂ1955), British nobleman, soldier and landowner
- Gervais Randrianarisoa (born 1984), Malagasy footballer
- Gervais Rentoul (1884âÂÂ1946), British politician
- Gervas Rozario (born 1951), Bangladeshi bishop
- Gervais Rufyikiri (born 1965), Burundian politician
- G. D. Spradlin Gervase Duan Spradlin (1920âÂÂ2011), American actor
- Gervais Tennyson d'Eyncourt (1902âÂÂ1971), English baronet
- Gervais Waye-Hive (born 1988), Seychellois soccer player
- Gervinho (born 1987), Ivorian footballer Gervais Yao Kouassi
Surname
- Aaron Gervais (born 1980), Canadian composer
- Aurèle Gervais (1933âÂÂ2021), Canadian politician
- Bruno Gervais (born 1984), Canadian ice hockey player
- Cedric Gervais (born 1979), French DJ and house music producer
- Charles-Hubert Gervais (1671âÂÂ1744), French composer
- Claude Gervaise (1525âÂÂ1583), French composer, editor and arranger
- Eugène Gervais (1852-1940), French Architect
- Drago Gervais (1904âÂÂ1957), Croatian poet
- François Armand Gervaise (1660âÂÂ1761), French Discalced Carmelite and historian
- Gaétan Gervais (1944âÂÂ2018), Canadian writer, historian and flag designer
- Isaac Gervaise (c. 1680âÂÂ1739), English merchant and economist
- Jean-Loup Gervais(1936-) French physicist
- Joseph Gervais (1777âÂÂ1861), Oregon pioneer
- John Gervais (13th century), Bishop of Winchester
- John Lewis Gervais (1741âÂÂ1798), South Carolina statesman
- Leslie-Ann Gervais (born 1977), Canadian fencer
- Marc Gervais (1929âÂÂ2012), Canadian Jesuit and film professor
- Paul Gervais (1816âÂÂ1879), French palaeontologist and entomologist
- Paul Gervais (painter) (1859âÂÂ1944), French painter
- Paul Gervais (writer) (born 1946), American novelist and garden-designer
- Paul Mullins Gervais (1925âÂÂ1997), Liberal party member of the Canadian House of Commons
- Ricky Gervais (born 1961), English comedian and actor
- Terence White Gervais (1913âÂÂ1968), English musician and writer
- Tony Gervaise (born 1955), Scottish association football player and coach
- Virginie Gervais (born 1979), French model and porn star
Fictional characters
See also
References
Bibliography