Gainor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Irish names tend to vary widely in their spelling and overall form. The original Gaelic form of the name Gainor is "Mag Fhionnbhairr," which is derived from the word "fionnbharr," which means "fair head." 1

The Mc Geaney and O'Geaney variants were originally Geibheannaigh in Gaelic which roughly translates to "fettered" in English. These branches were typically found in Co. Cork and Co. Roscommon. 1

Early Origins of the Gainor family

The surname Gainor was first found in county Longford (Irish: An Longfort) traditionally known as Annaly or Teffia, and situated in the Irish Midlands, in Northwest Leinster. 2

They claim descent through the Line of Ir, Irish kings and one source notes the Gaynor variant as originally Geraadhan in Gaelic. However, the same source claims the name could have been MacFinbhair, which matches the aforementioned entry. 3

Early History of the Gainor family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gainor research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1172 is included under the topic Early Gainor History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gainor Spelling Variations

Scribes and church officials, lacking today's standardized spelling rules, recorded names by how they were pronounced. This imprecise guide often led to the misleading result of one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Gainor are preserved in documents of the family history. The various spellings of the name that were found include Gaynor, Gainor, Gainer, Gaines, Gains, McGaynor and others.

Early Notables of the Gainor family

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

Gainor migration to the United States +

A massive wave of Irish immigrants hit North America during the 19th century. Although many early Irish immigrants made a carefully planned decision to leave left Ireland for the promise of free land, by the 1840s immigrants were fleeing a famine stricken land in desperation. The condition of Ireland during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s can be attributed to a rapidly expanding population and English imperial policies. Those Irish families that arrived in North America were essential to its rapid social, industrial, and economic development. Passenger and immigration lists have revealed a number of early Irish immigrants bearing the name Gainor:

Gainor Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Gainor, aged 25, who arrived in New Jersey in 1777 4

Gainor Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Barnard Gainor, aged 48, who landed in New York in 1812 4

Gainor 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:

Gainor Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

John Gainor, aged 32, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1875
Rebecca Gainor, aged 28, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1875
Martha Gainor, aged 11, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1875

Contemporary Notables of the name Gainor (post 1700) +

Charlie Gainor (1916-1996), American NFL football player for the Chicago Cardinals in 1939
T. Gainor, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for Presidential Elector for Virginia, 1920 5
Charles R. Gainor, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Oakland, California, 1953-54 (acting, 1953-54) 5
James Norman Gainor (1904-1962), Canadian NHL ice hockey player for the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators and the Montreal Maroons (1925-1936)
Martin Gainor (1915-1959), Canadian CFL football player for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1937-1939)
Christopher "Chris" Gainor (b. 1954), Canadian historian of technology specializing in space exploration and aeronautics
Gainor Jennings, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 1916 6

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)
O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 13) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html