Gervaise

(male) Norman name of unknown origin. It has been suggested that it might be Germanic, formed with gēr ‘spear’ and an unexplained second element. The given name is bestowed in honour of a certain St Gervasius, whose remains, together with those of Protasius, were discovered in Milan in the year 386. Nothing is known about their lives, but St Ambrose, who had ordered the search for their remains, declared that they were martyrs, and a cult soon grew up. Given these circumstances, we might expect their names to be Greek or Latin, but if they are, the origins are unknown. The name is in use mainly among Roman Catholics. Protasius has not survived as a given name. See also Jarvis.