Gilcriston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The age-old Hebrides islands and the west coast of Scotland are the ancestral home of the Gilcriston family. Their name comes from the Gaelic "Gille Criosd", which means "the servant of Christ".

Early Origins of the Gilcriston family

The surname Gilcriston was first found in Angus (Gaelic: Aonghas), part of the Tayside region of northeastern Scotland, and present day Council Area of Angus, formerly known as Forfar or Forfarshire, where they held a family seat some say as far back as the 12th century. The first record of the name was in Cupar-Angus in the 15th century where they held a family seat at Murthly in Atholl, in the parish of Little Dunkeld in Perthshire.

Early History of the Gilcriston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gilcriston research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1680 and 1800 are included under the topic Early Gilcriston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gilcriston Spelling Variations

Medieval spelling was at best an intuitive process, and translation between Gaelic and English was no more effective. These factors caused an enormous number of spelling variations in Dalriadan names. In fact, it was not uncommon to see a father and son who spelled their name differently. Over the years, Gilcriston has been spelled Gilchristson, Gilkerson, Gilkison, Gilcriston, Gilkersone, MacGilchrist, McGilchrist, Gilchristoun, Kilkerson, Gilkisone, Gilkrisoune, Gilkcrissone and many more.

Early Notables of the Gilcriston family

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

Migration of the Gilcriston family to Ireland

Some of the Gilcriston family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gilcriston family

Scottish settlers arrived in many of the communities that became the backbones of the United States and Canada. Many stayed, but some headed west for the endless open country of the prairies. In the American War of Independence, many Scots who remained loyal to England re-settled in Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Scots across North America were able to recover much of their lost heritage in the 20th century as Clan societies and highland games sprang up across North America. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Gilcristons to arrive on North American shores: Archibald and Robert Gilkeson settled in Augusta County, Virginia in 1767.