Gillmyn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Gillmyn was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the baptismal name Gilmyn. Gillman indicated that the bearer was the son of (or descended from) someone named Gilmyn. The name is of Norman origin, and was brought to England in the wake of the conquest after the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Early Origins of the Gillmyn family

The surname Gillmyn was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Gillmyn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gillmyn research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gillmyn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gillmyn Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Gillman, Gilman and others.

Early Notables of the Gillmyn family

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

Migration of the Gillmyn family to Ireland

Some of the Gillmyn family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gillmyn family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Gillmyn or a variant listed above were: Edward Gillman of Norfolk who settled in Hingham in 1638 with his wife, three servants, three sons and two daughters; Thomas Gillman, who came to Virginia in 1680.