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| Origins Available: |
| | Ireland |
Many Irish names are merely English translations of Gaelic names. The name Gilgan was a translation of the Gaelic name Mac Giollagain, which is derived from the word "giolla," which means "lad."
The surname Gilgan was first found in County Londonderry (Irish: Doire), a Northern Irish county also known as Derry, in the province of Ulster, where they held a family seat at a place called Magilligans Strand.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gilgan research. Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gilgan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The recording of names in Ireland in the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best due to competing dialects and languages, and the general illiteracy of the population. Research into the name Gilgan revealed many spelling variations, including Gilligan, Gilegan, Gillegan, Giligan and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Gilgan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
During the middle of the 19th century, Irish families often experienced extreme poverty and racial discrimination in their own homeland under English rule. Record numbers died of disease and starvation, and many others, deciding against such a fate, boarded ships bound for North America. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. Unfortunately, many of those Irish that arrived in Canada or the United States still experienced economic and racial discrimination. Although often maligned, these Irish people were essential to the rapid development of these countries because they provided the cheap labor required for the many canals, roads, railways, and other projects required for strong national infrastructures. Eventually the Irish went on to make contributions in the less backbreaking and more intellectual arenas of commerce, education, and the arts. Research early immigration and passenger lists revealed many early immigrants bearing the name Gilgan:
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: