Gammell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

The name Gammell was derived from the Middle English word "Gamel" which meant the "old one." Gamel was a fairly popular personal name in Scotland particularly in Ayrshire. "Gemell" is also derived from the Italian word for "twins" and it if from this source that heralds derived the ordinary "bars-gemel" which dePicts "twin" bars or a pair of two barrulets, placed close together, referred to as one bar-gemel. Bars gemel were awarded for acts of particular bravery in times of war.

Early Origins of the Gammell family

The surname Gammell was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire, where one of the first records of the name was Gamel or Gamellus who witnessed charters by Richard, bishop of St. Andrews c. 1173. The same person witnessed a charter by Roger, bishop elect of St. Andrews relating to the church of Haddington c. 1189-1198.

Early History of the Gammell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gammell research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1173, 1250 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Gammell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gammell Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Gemmell, Gemel, Gemell, Gemmel, Gemmill and others.

Early Notables of the Gammell family

More information is included under the topic Early Gammell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gammell migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gammell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Daniel Gammell, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682 1

Gammell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Francis Gammell, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1861 1

Gammell migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gammell Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Thomas Gammell, who arrived in Canada in 1820

Gammell migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Gammell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. James Gammell, (Gemmell), American Convict from New York who was convicted in Ontario, Canada for life for high treason, transported aboard the "Canton" on 20th September 1839, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), transported from Quebec to England, he managed to escape and return to America 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Gammell (post 1700) +

Robert Hale Ives Gammell (1893-1981), American artist from Providence, Rhode Island, best known for his sequence of paintings based on Francis Thompson's poem "The Hound of Heaven"
Stephen Gammell (b. 1943), American Caldecott Medal winning illustrator of children's books
William Gammell Jr., American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Rhode Island, 1912 3
A. B. Gammell, American politician, Member of Pennsylvania State House of Representatives from Wayne County, 1879-80 3
Sir William Benjamin Bowring "Bill" Gammell FRSE (b. 1952), Scottish businessman and former rugby union player for the Scottish national team
Robin Gammell (b. 1936), Canadian Genie Award nominated film, television and stage actor
Ray Gammell, Irish businessman and the interim Group CEO of the Etihad Aviation Group since May 2017
Lieutenant General Sir James Andrew Harcourt Gammell KCB DSO MC (1892-1975), British Army officer who fought during both World War I and World War II
Sir Brian Gammell Ivory C.V.O., C.B.E., FRSE, FRSA (b. 1949), Scottish former Chairman of Dumfries House Trust, was appointed the Commander of the Royal Victorian Order on 8th June 2018 4

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canton
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62310, 4 July 2019 | London Gazette, The Gazette, June 2018, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/62310/supplement/B1