Gibson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
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The Hebrides islands and the west coast of Scotland are the ancestral home of the Gibson family. Their name comes from the given name Gibb, which is a diminutive form of the name Gilbert. 1

Early Origins of the Gibson family

The surname Gibson was first found in Galloway (Gaelic: Gall-ghaidhealaibh), an area of southwestern Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Dumfries and Galloway, that formerly consisted of the counties of Wigtown (West Galloway) and Kirkcudbright (East Galloway), where they held a family seat from very early times.

Descended from a chieftain, Gilbert, probably Gilbert, Lord of Galloway, the Gibsons settled first at Lennox in Scotland, and in those early times was a formidable force to be encountered. The first official mention was when John Gibson surrendered the Castle of Rothesay in 1335. A few years later, Thomas Gibbeson was charged with breaking parole in 1358; and John Gybbessone was listed as a servitor of William Douglas when he was held hostage by Henry Vi in 1425.1

Later a branch of the family were well established in the sea-port and ancient burgh of barony of Levin in Fifeshire. "This place, which is agreeably situated on the sea-shore at the mouth of the river whence it takes its name, was erected into a burgh of barony by charter of the proprietor of the lands of Durie, now belonging to the Christies, but once in the possession of the family of Gibson, whose descendants, the lords Durie, are distinguished in Scottish history." 2

Early History of the Gibson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gibson research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1488, 1513, 1540, 1562, 1590, 1600, 1603, 1615, 1637, 1644, 1656, 1668, 1669, 1690, 1693, 1696, 1698, 1701, 1702, 1717, 1748 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Gibson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gibson Spelling Variations

Medieval translation of Gaelic names could not be referred to as an accurate process. Spelling was not yet standardized, and names in documents from that era are riddled with spelling variations. Gibson has been written as Gibson, Gibsone, Gibsons, Gipson, Gibsoun, Gipsone, Gibbson, Gibbsone, Gippson and many more.

Early Notables of the Gibson family

Notable amongst the Clan from early times was

Gibson World Ranking

In the United States, the name Gibson is the 116th most popular surname with an estimated 186,525 people with that name. 4 However, in Canada, the name Gibson is ranked the 171st most popular surname with an estimated 20,710 people with that name. 5 And in Australia, the name Gibson is the 114th popular surname with an estimated 23,680 people with that name. 6 New Zealand ranks Gibson as 75th with 4,661 people. 7 The United Kingdom ranks Gibson as 83rd with 53,649 people. 8

Migration of the Gibson family to Ireland

Some of the Gibson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Gibson migration to the United States +

Ancestors of many of the Dalriadan families who crossed the Atlantic still live along the east coast of the United States and Canada. Some Scottish settlers arrived in Canada during the American War of Independence as United Empire Loyalists, while others stayed south to fight for a new nation. The descendants of Scottish settlers in both countries began to rediscover their heritage in the 19th and 20th centuries through Clan societies and highland games. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Gibson or a variant listed above:

Gibson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Gibson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Gibson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Gibson migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gibson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Gibson Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
Gibson Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Gibson migration to Australia +

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

Gibson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Gibson 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:

Gibson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Gibson migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 16
Gibson Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Gibson (post 1700) +


The Gibson 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: Recte et fideliter
Motto Translation: Just and faithful.


Suggested Readings for the name Gibson +
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