gashi

Gashi is a surname of Albanian origin and a historical tribal name dating to northern Albania. In ethnographic and genealogical sources, the Gashi are described as a northern Albanian clan with historical settlements in the highlands that today straddle Albania and parts of Montenegro. The surname is found among Albanians in Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, and the Albanian diaspora in Western Europe and North America. The etymology is not definitively established, but it is widely regarded as an indicator of tribal or familial lineage within Albanian communities. It is also encountered in toponymic references tied to historical Gashi communities.

In contemporary usage, Gashi is borne by various individuals and, in some cases, used as a stage name by an Albanian-American musician. The name also appears in sports and public life, reflecting its continued presence in Albanian and Balkan cultural spheres. As with many Albanian surnames, spelling and pronunciation can vary with dialect and language contact, and its distribution extends beyond Albania through diaspora communities.