Gilespy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland-Alt
Scotland

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 Gilespy family

The surname Gilespy 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 Gilespy family

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

Gilespy Spelling Variations

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

Early Notables of the Gilespy family

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

Gilespy migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gilespy Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Matthew Gilespy, who settled in Charleston in 1767

Gilespy Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Felix Gilespy, who arrived in New York in 1840 1

The Gilespy 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.

Citations +

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)