Many Irish names are merely English translations of Gaelic names. The name Gillahan was a translation of the Gaelic name Mac Giollagain, which is derived from the word "giolla," which means "lad."
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Early Origins of the Gillahan family
The surname Gillahan was first found in County Londonderry (Irish: Doire), a Northern Irish county also known as Derry, in the province of Ulster, where they held a family seat at a place called Magilligans Strand.
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Early History of the Gillahan family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gillahan research. Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gillahan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Gillahan Spelling Variations
Pronunciation, rather than spelling, was what guided scribes and church officials in recording names, a practice that often led to the misleading result of one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Gillahan are preserved in documents that were examined for evidence of the family's history. The various spellings of Gillahan included Gilligan, Gilegan, Gillegan, Giligan and others.
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Early Notables of the Gillahan family
More information is included under the topic Early Gillahan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Gillahan family
In the 18th and 19th centuries, hundreds of thousands of Irish immigrants landed on North American shores. Although many of them were merely looking for a free plot of land and living of their very own, many later immigrants were desperately fleeing an overcrowded land that did not have sufficient food for its inhabitants. The exodus from Ireland was greatest during the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine had stricken the island. Although this large influx of Irish was unpopular with the great majority of people already established within the major centers, these Irish were critical to the speedy development of the United States and those colonies that would eventually become known as Canada. These immigrants provided the cheap labor required to build modern roads, bridges, canals, and railways. Research of passenger and immigration lists has shown a number of immigrants to North America baring the name of Gillahan: Charles, James, John, Michael, Patrick and Thomas Gilligan, all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1870.
Ireland
