Gilligan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  Ireland 


Many Irish names are merely English translations of Gaelic names. The name Gilligan was a translation of the Gaelic name Mac Giollagain, which is derived from the word "giolla," which means "lad."

Early Origins of the Gilligan family

The surname Gilligan 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.

Early History of the Gilligan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gilligan research. Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gilligan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gilligan Spelling Variations

Pronunciation, rather than spelling, was what guided scribes and church officials in recording names, a practice that often led to the misleading result of one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Gilligan are preserved in documents that were examined for evidence of the family's history. The various spellings of Gilligan included Gilligan, Gilegan, Gillegan, Giligan and others.

Early Notables of the Gilligan family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

Gilligan Ranking

In the United States, the name Gilligan is the 5,709th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


Gilligan migration to the United States +

North America received thousands of Irish immigrants from the English-ruled Ireland during the 19th century. Once in the United States or what would become Canada, these immigrants quickly contributed to the ongoing settling and industrialization processes. The largest influx of Irish settlers occurred with Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. An exhaustive examination of immigrant and passenger lists has shown many early immigrants bearing the surname of Gilligan:

Gilligan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Gilligan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gilligan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Gilligan migration to Australia +

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

Gilligan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Gilligan 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:

Gilligan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Gilligan (post 1700) +
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