Contents [hide]

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

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Gilmore History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

A Strathclyde-Briton family from the Scottish/English Borderlands was the first to use the surname Gilmore. It is a name for a devotee of the Virgin Mary. Looking back further, we find the name Gilmore was originally derived from the Gaelic Gille Moire, which means follower of Mary or servant of Mary. 1

As an occupational name, the family was known as "the bearer of the broadsword to a Scottish chief." 2 or "follower of the chief, one who carried the chief's broadsword, from gille, a servant, and mor, large, great." 3

Early Origins of the Gilmore family

The surname Gilmore was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire, where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early records from Cumberland show that between 1133 and 1156, Gilmor, son of Gilander founded the chapelry of Treverman (later Trierman) in the parish of Walton, Cumberland, site of Triermain castle. "The chapel was constructed of wattlework (capetta de virgin), and on its completion Gilmor appointed his kinsman Gillemor to the chaplaincy. These names, it may be mentioned, attest the strong Gaelic influence in Cumberland at that period." 4

Gilmore meaning "Gill the Big" was son of Gillanders the great Chief who lived about 1140.

"Some time before 1144 'Gillemor filius Gilleconel' granted a half mark of silver to the church of S. Machute in Lesmahagow (Kelso, 187). Gillemure Albanach ('the Scot') and Gillemure mac Blancard witnessed the donation of the church of Torpennoth, etc. to Holyrood by Uchtred, Lord of Galloway, between 1153-65." 4

Early History of the Gilmore family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gilmore research. Another 348 words (25 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1200, 1211, 1250, 1270, 1304, 1316, 1572, 1605, 1628, 1641, 1661, 1671 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Gilmore History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gilmore Spelling Variations

The origin of rules governing the spelling of names and even words is a very recent innovation. Before that, words and names were spelled according to sound, and, therefore, often appeared under several different spelling variations in a single document. Gilmore has been spelled Gilmour, Gilmore, Gilmur, Gilmor, Gilmer, Gilmoore and many more.

Early Notables of the Gilmore family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Sir John Gilmour of Craigmillar (1605-1671), Lord President of the Court of Session 1661-1671. He was the son of John Gilmour, writer to the signet and was bred to his father's profession, but on 12 Dec. 1628 he was admitted an advocate. "His professional connection lay among the royalist party...
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gilmore Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gilmore World Ranking

In the United States, the name Gilmore is the 538^th most popular surname with an estimated 54,714 people with that name. 5 However, in Australia, the name Gilmore is ranked the 910^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,319 people with that name. 6 And in New Zealand, the name Gilmore is the 874^th popular surname with an estimated 839 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Gilmore family to Ireland

Some of the Gilmore family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gilmore migration to the United States +

The persecution faced in their homeland left many Scots with little to do but sail for the colonies of North America. There they found land, freedom, opportunity, and nations in the making. They fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence, or traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In both cases, they made enormous contributions to the formation of those great nations. Among them:

Gilmore Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Robert Gilmore, who arrived in New England in 1718 8

Gilmore Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph Dent Gilmore, who arrived in Grenada in 1801 8
Jourdan Gilmore, aged 16, who landed in New Castle, Del in 1804 8
Jane Gilmore, aged 50, who arrived in New Castle, Del in 1804 8
Frances Gilmore, aged 21, who landed in New Castle, Del in 1804 8
Rose Gilmore, aged 17, who landed in New Castle, Del in 1804 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gilmore migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gilmore Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Joseph Gilmore U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 9

Gilmore Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Jane Gilmore, aged 45, a widow, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "John & Mary" from Belfast, Ireland
Nancy Gilmore, aged 16, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "John & Mary" from Belfast, Ireland
Richard Gilmore, aged 13, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "John & Mary" from Belfast, Ireland
James Gilmore, aged 34, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Dorcas Savage" from Belfast, Ireland
John Gilmore, aged 65, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Dorcas Savage" from Belfast, Ireland
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gilmore migration to Australia +

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

Gilmore Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mrs. Mary Gilmore, (Gilman), (b. 1754), aged 59, Irish servant who was convicted in County Mayo, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Catherine" on 8th December 1813, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. Joseph Gilmore, (b. 1799), aged 21, Irish convict who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for felony, transported aboard the "Dorothy" on 5th May 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mary Gilmore, English convict from Bristol, who was transported aboard the "Angelina" on April 25, 1844, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 12
James Gilmore, aged 21, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Marion" 13
Bernard Gilmore, aged 33, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Harry Lorrequer" 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gilmore 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:

Gilmore Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. J. B. Gilmore (Gilmer), Australian settler travelling from Sydney aboard the ship "Diana" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th July 1840 15
Mr. Robert Gilmore, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Katherine Stewart Forbes" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th March 1852 15
Mr. Robert Gilmore, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "Bride" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 21st June 1858 15
Mrs. Helen Gilmore, (b. 1832), aged 27, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Mary Anne" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th August 1859 15
Mr. Alexander Gilmore, (b. 1834), aged 25, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Mary Anne" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th August 1859 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Gilmore (post 1700) +

Iris Pavey Gilmore (1900-1982), American author, writing both non-fiction for adults and children
David Gilmore (b. 1964), American jazz guitarist
Brenda Gilmore (b. 1968), American politician, Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives (2007-)
Artis Gilmore (b. 1949), retired American Hall of Fame basketball player
Arthur Wells "Art" Gilmore (1912-2010), American voice actor and announcer
Alfred Gilmore (1812-1858), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania (1849-1853)
Alexie Gilmore (b. 1976), American actress known for God Bless America (2011), World's Greatest Dad (2009) and Willow Creek (2013)
Frederick Garfield "Fred" Gilmore (1887-1969), Canadian-born, American featherweight professional boxer who won bronze at the 1904 Olympics 16
Bryan Gilmore (b. 1978), American NFL wide receiver
Charles Whitney Gilmore (1874-1945), American paleontologist
... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Gilmore family +

HMS Royal Oak

Ernest J. Gilmore, British Petty Officer with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 17

Lady of the Lake

Miss Peggy Gilmore (b. 1811), Irish traveller from Coleraine, Northern Ireland who sailed aboard the "Lady of the Lake" from Greenock, Scotland on 8th April 1833 to Quebec, Canada when the ship hit ice and sunk of the coast of Newfoundland on the 11th May 1833 and she died in the sinking

North Sea Flood

James Gilmore, British traveler aboard the ferry "Princess Victoria" who survived the North Sea Flood, a major storm surge in 1953

The Gilmore 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: Perseveranti dabitur
Motto Translation: It will be given to the persevering.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
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 of Australia (Retreived 2nd January 2021, retreived from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/catherine
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dorothy
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 27) Angelina voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1844 with 171 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/angelina/1844
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The MARION 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Marion.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HARRY LORREQUER 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849HarryLorrequer.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Athletes - Famous Olympic Athletes, Medalists, Sports Heroes. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Frederick Gilmore. Retrieved from http://www.olympic.org/content/olympic-athletes/generic-athlete-page/?athleteid=57384
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html