Gilmyn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Gilmyn came to England with the ancestors of the Gilmyn family in 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 Gilmyn family

The surname Gilmyn 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 Gilmyn family

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

Gilmyn Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Gillman, Gilman and others.

Early Notables of the Gilmyn family

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

Migration of the Gilmyn family to Ireland

Some of the Gilmyn 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 Gilmyn family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Gilmyn name or one of its variants: 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.