Show ContentsGlaspie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

In Ireland, the name Gillespie is the usual modern form of MacGillespick, or "Mac Giolla Epscoip," which means "son of the servant or follower of the bishop."

Early Origins of the Glaspie family

The surname Glaspie was first found in County Donegal (Irish: Dún na nGall), northwest Ireland in the province of Ulster, sometimes referred to as County Tyrconnel, where they had been documented in Ireland since the invasion led by Strongbow, the Earl of Pembroke in 1172.

Early History of the Glaspie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Glaspie research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1567, 1766 and 1814 are included under the topic Early Glaspie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Glaspie Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Gillespie, Gillespick, MacGillespie, MacGillespick, Glaspey, Clubsy and many more.

Early Notables of the Glaspie family

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Glaspie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Glaspie Ranking

In the United States, the name Glaspie is the 11,067th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Glaspie family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Matthew Gilespy, who settled in Charleston in 1767; James Gilespie arrived in Philadelphia in 1861; Neil Gillespie with his wife Mary arrived in New York State in 1739 with his two sons, Gilbert and Angus.


Contemporary Notables of the name Glaspie (post 1700) +

  • April Catherine Glaspie (b. 1942), Canadian-born, American former diplomat, 13th United States Ambassador to Iraq (1988-1990)
  • Andrew Bird Glaspie (1876-1943), American soldier, politician, newspaper publisher, and college football player


The Glaspie Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Tu certas salutis anchora
Motto Translation: A sure anchor of safety.


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


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