Gillin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The original Gaelic form of Gillin was Ó Giollain, from the word "giolla," which means "lad." 1
Early Origins of the Gillin family
The surname Gillin was first found in County Donegal (Irish: Dún na nGall), northwest Ireland in the province of Ulster, sometimes referred to as County Tyrconnel, where they held a family seat from ancient times.
Early History of the Gillin family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gillin research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gillin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Gillin Spelling Variations
The archives that survive today demonstrate the difficulty experienced by the scribes of the Middle Ages in their attempt to record these names in writing. Spelling variations of the name Gillin dating from that time include Gillan, Gillinan, Gillen, Gillon, Gillfinan, Gillion and many more.
Early Notables of the Gillin family
More information is included under the topic Early Gillin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Gillin migration to the United States +
A massive wave of Irish immigrants hit North America during the 19th century. Although many early Irish immigrants made a carefully planned decision to leave left Ireland for the promise of free land, by the 1840s immigrants were fleeing a famine stricken land in desperation. The condition of Ireland during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s can be attributed to a rapidly expanding population and English imperial policies. Those Irish families that arrived in North America were essential to its rapid social, industrial, and economic development. Passenger and immigration lists have revealed a number of early Irish immigrants bearing the name Gillin:
Gillin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Georg Gillin, who landed in Virginia in 1638 2
- George Gillin, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 2
- Susanna Gillin, who arrived in Maryland in 1663 2
Gillin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- James Gillin, who landed in New York, NY in 1815 2
- Francis Gillin, who arrived in New York, NY in 1815 2
- Margaret Gillin, who arrived in New York, NY in 1815 2
- Luke L Gillin, aged 44, who landed in Missouri in 1841 2
- Michael Gillin, who landed in Mississippi in 1860 2
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Gillin migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Gillin Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- James Gillin, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Madawaska" in 1833
Gillin 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:
Gillin Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Thomas Gillin, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Pegasus" in 1865
- Margaret Gillin, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Pegasus" in 1865
- Mary Gillin, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Pegasus" in 1865
Contemporary Notables of the name Gillin (post 1700) +
- Roger Gillin (b. 1952), American professional baseball player
- Matthew Gillin, American entrepreneur, inventor, and philanthropist
- John A. Gillin, American billionaire, best known for his John Gillin Residence designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1950
- Hugh Gillin (1925-2004), American film and television actor
- Walter Gillin, American politician, Representative from Illinois 18th District, 1990 3
Citations +
- MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html