Contents [hide]

Gorman History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Gorman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Many variations of the name Gorman have evolved since the time of its initial creation. In Gaelic it appeared as Mac Gormain, derived from the word "gorm," which means "blue."

Early Origins of the Gorman family

The surname Gorman was first found in County Clare, where O'Gorman was chief of Tullichrin, a territory comprising parts of the baronies of Moyarta and Ibrackan. They claim descendancy through the O'Connor pedigree, specifically through Daire, a younger brother of Ros Failgeach. He was the second son of Mor, the King of Leinster and the 109th Monarch of Ireland. The family were the Chiefs of Ibrckan in County Claire. 1 The Mac (Mc) prefix is rarely found today due to the fact that in the early nineteenth century native Irish "were in complete subjection." 2

Early History of the Gorman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gorman research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early Gorman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gorman Spelling Variations

Within the archives researched, many different spelling variations of the surname Gorman were found. These included One reason for the many variations is that scribes and church officials often spelled an individual's name as it sounded. This imprecise method often led to many versions. Gorman, MacGorman, O'Gorman and others.

Early Notables of the Gorman family

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

Gorman World Ranking

In the United States, the name Gorman is the 1,175^th most popular surname with an estimated 24,870 people with that name. 3 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Gorman is ranked the 668^th most popular surname with an estimated 66 people with that name. 4 And in Australia, the name Gorman is the 778^th popular surname with an estimated 5,035 people with that name. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Gorman as 827^th with 8,188 people. 6

Gorman migration to the United States +

During the 19th century thousands of impoverished Irish families made the long journey to British North America and the United States. These people were leaving a land that had become beset with poverty, lack of opportunity, and hunger. In North America, they hoped to find land, work, and political and religious freedoms. Although the majority of the immigrants that survived the long sea passage did make these discoveries, it was not without much perseverance and hard work: by the mid-19th century land suitable for agriculture was short supply, especially in British North America, in the east; the work available was generally low paying and physically taxing construction or factory work; and the English stereotypes concerning the Irish, although less frequent and vehement, were, nevertheless, present in the land of freedom, liberty, and equality for all men. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s. Research into passenger and immigration lists has brought forth evidence of the early members of the Gorman family in North America:

Gorman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mathew Gorman, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 7
William Gorman who settled in New England in 1747
Thomas Gorman, who landed in America in 1760-1763 7
James Gorman, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1763 7
William Gorman, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1766 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gorman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mustie Gorman, who landed in America in 1801 7
William Gorman, who settled in Boston in 1804
rhos Gorman, who landed in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1804 7
Mrs. Gorman, who landed in Newport, Rhode Island in 1811 7
Dennis Gorman, who landed in Newport, Rhode Island in 1811 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gorman Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Joseph Gorman, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1901 7

Gorman migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gorman Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Barney Gorman U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 was passenger number 378 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York 8
Mrs. Rebecca Gorman U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1784 8

Gorman Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Daniel Gorman, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1821
Elizabeth Gorman, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1821
Thomas Gorman, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1821
Patrick Gorman, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1825
Honors Gorman, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1828
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gorman migration to Australia +

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

Gorman Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Mr. Patrick Gorman, English convict who was convicted in Leicester, Leicestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9

Gorman Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Gorman, Irish convict who was convicted in Waterford, Ireland for 7 years for being a Political prisoner and Captain of the Irish Rebels, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. Henry Gorman, (b. 1805), aged 21, English store keeper who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "England"on 28th April 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1851 11
Miss Margaret Gorman, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl of Liverpool" in December 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Joseph Gorman, English convict from Lancaster, who was transported aboard the "Argyle" on March 5th, 1831, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 13
Mr. Robert Gorman, English convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Aurora" on 3rd November 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gorman migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Gorman Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Gorman, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Nimroud" in 1860
Elizabeth Gorman, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Nimroud" in 1860
John Gorman, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Nimroud" in 1860
Joseph Gorman, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Nimroud" in 1860
W. Gorman, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Nimroud" in 1860
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Gorman (post 1700) +

Cliff Gorman (1936-2002), born Joel Joshua Goldberg, an American actor who won an Obie award in 1968 for the stage presentation of The Boys in the Band
Edward Joseph Gorman Jr. (1941-2016), American writer and short fiction anthologist
Leon A. Gorman (1934-2015), American businessman and philanthropist, President and Chairman of the Board for the clothing company L.L. Bean, grandson of Leon Leonwood Bean
James Gorman (b. 1859), American winner of a gold and bronze Olympic medal for shooting at 1908 games
Arthur Pue Gorman (1839-1906), American politician and Senator
Sir John Reginald Gorman (b. 1923), Northern Irish politician
William Moore "Terence" Gorman (1923-2003), Irish economist and academic
Reg Gorman (1932-2021), Australian television and film actor, and comedian known for his role as Jack Fletcher in The Sullivans, as Harry Patterson in all 26 episodes of Fergus McPhail, and for being one of the last active vaudeville performers in Australia
Mr. Daniel Greelan Gorman O.B.E., Scottish professor, was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for voluntary service to the Promotion of Science and Engineering and to STEM Education in Kilmarnock and Ayrshire 15
Teresa Ellen Gorman (1931-2015), née Moore, a British politician, Member of Parliament for Billericay (1987-2001)
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Gorman family +

Halifax Explosion

Mr. Alex Gorman, Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 16
Master Edmund Alexander Gorman (1914-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who survived the Halifax Explosion (1917) but later died due to injuries 16

HMS Dorsetshire

Leonard Gorman (d. 1945), British Leading Air Fitter aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 17

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Roy J Gorman, British Leading Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 18

Victoria steamboat disaster

Charles Gorman, Canadian passenger who was killed in the Victoria steamboat disaster when the boat capsized in 1881

The Gorman 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: Primi et ultimi in bello
Motto Translation: First and last in war.

Citations +

O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-of-liverpool
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Argyle voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1831 with 251 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/argyle/1831
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html