Glassen Surname History

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

Gaelic is at the heart of many of the Irish surnames that can be found throughout the world today. The original Gaelic form of the name Glassen is Mac Glasain or Mac Glaisin; both are derived from the word "glas," which means "green" or "gray-green."

Early Origins of the Glassen family

The surname Glassen was first found in County Clare (Irish: An Clár) located on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat from ancient times. McGlashen stones known as "stones of strength", or "testing stones" were used for centuries as tests of strength of young men in Scotland. Traditionally known as "clach cuid fir", or "manhood stones," young men were welcomed into manhood when he was able to lift the "clach cuid fir" from the ground to waist height. More recently McGlashen Stones and the Dinnie Stones have been used in many Strongman competitions since the 1980s.

In Scotland, the name is from the "Gaelic M'Glaisein, a diminutive form of M'Ghille ghlals 'son of the grey lad.' [Other early records include] Mulmory M'Glassen in the Black Isle, 1500. Iain McGalssan or McGlassane was witness at Ardgartene, 1515. John M'Glassan witnessed an instrument of sasine in 1519, as also did Cristin M'Gillecallum M'Glassen in 1525, and Paul M'Glassen is in record in Lochalsh in 1548." 1

Indeed, Scotland became the home to many of the family as today most claim to be Scottish.

Early History of the Glassen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Glassen research. Another 167 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1515, 1548, 1647, 1681, 1710, 1740 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Glassen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Glassen Spelling Variations

Names written in official documents were generally spelt as they sounded, leading to the problem of one name being recorded under several different variations, creating the illusion in records of more than one person. Among the many spelling variations of the surname Glassen that are preserved in documents of the family history are MacGlashan, MacGlashen, MacGlasheen, MacGlassan, MacGlasson, Houneen, O'Houneen and many more.

Early Notables of the Glassen family

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

Glassen migration to the United States +

Irish families began to immigrate to British North America and the United States in the 18th century, but the greatest influx of Irish immigrants came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. The earlier settlers came to North America after a great deal of consideration and by paying relatively high fees for their passage. These settlers were primarily drawn by the promise of land. Those later settlers that came during the 1840's were trying to escape the conditions of poverty, starvation, disease, and death that had stricken Ireland. Due to the enormity of their numbers and the late date of their arrival, these immigrants primarily became hired laborers instead of homesteading settlers like their predecessors. An exhaustive search of immigration and passenger lists has revealed many Irish immigrants North America bearing the name Glassen:

Glassen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Fridolin Glassen, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1862 2
Victor Glassen, who landed in St Clair County, Illinois in 1864 2

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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)