Gaelic is at the heart of all the Irish surnames that can be found throughout the world today. The original Gaelic form of the name MacGilly is Mac Giolla Chuda, which perhaps denotes a devotee of St. Mochuda.
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Early Origins of the MacGilly family
The surname MacGilly was first found in County Kerry (Irish:Ciarraí) part of the former County Desmond (14th-17th centuries), located in Southwestern Ireland, in Munster province, where The McGillycuddy of the Reeks (Irish: Mac Giolla Mochuda) was one of the hereditary chiefs of the name of Ireland.
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Early History of the MacGilly family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our MacGilly research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early MacGilly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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MacGilly Spelling Variations
Because early scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded, a person could have many various spellings of his name.Many different spelling variations of the surname MacGilly were found in the archives researched. These included Gillycuddy, McGillycuddy, Gillecuddy, Gillacuddy, Gillicuddy, McGillicuddy, McGillecuddy, McGillacuddy, McGullucuddy, MacGillicudy, McGillicudy and many more.
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Early Notables of the MacGilly family
More information is included under the topic Early MacGilly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the MacGilly family
In the 18th and 19th centuries, thousands of Irish families fled an Ireland that was forcibly held through by England through its imperialistic policies. A large portion of these families crossed the Atlantic to the shores of North America. The fate of these families depended on when they immigrated and the political allegiances they showed after they arrived. Settlers that arrived before the American War of Independence may have moved north to Canada at the war's conclusion as United Empire Loyalists. Such Loyalists were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Those that fought for the revolution occasionally gained the land that the fleeing Loyalist vacated. After this period, free land and an agrarian lifestyle were not so easy to come by in the East. So when seemingly innumerable Irish immigrants arrived during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s, free land for all was out of the question. These settlers were instead put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Whenever they came, Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name MacGilly or a variant listed above, including: Catherine McGillycuddy who settled in Boston in 1749; Phillip McGillicuddy arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1845; and Timothy Magillacuddy settled in New York State in 1849..
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.
Ireland
