Gillman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Gillman is an ancient name whose history on English soil dates back to the wave of emigration that followed the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. The name comes from the baptismal name Gilmyn. Gillman indicated that the bearer was the son of (or descended from) someone named Gilmyn. The name is of Norman origin, and was brought to England in the wake of the conquest after the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
Early Origins of the Gillman family
The surname Gillman was first found in Norfolk where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the Gillman family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gillman research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gillman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Gillman Spelling Variations
Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Gillman, Gilman and others.
Early Notables of the Gillman family
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was
- Richard Gillman of Norfolk
Gillman Ranking
In the United States, the name Gillman is the 6,545th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1
Migration of the Gillman family to Ireland
Some of the Gillman family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Gillman migration to the United States +
To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Gillman or a variant listed above:
Gillman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Edward Gillman of Norfolk who settled in Hingham in 1638 with his wife, three servants, three sons and two daughters
- Edward Gillman, who landed in Hingham, Massachusetts in 1638 2
- Richard Gillman, who landed in Virginia in 1653 2
- Thomas Gillman, who settled in Virginia in 1680
Gillman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- John Gillman, who arrived in Maryland in 1755
- Verena Gillman, who arrived in Carolina in 1762 2
- Adolph Gillman, who settled in Philadelphia in 1774
- Francis Gillman, who arrived in New York in 1777
Gillman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Christian Gillman, aged 58, who landed in Missouri in 1846 2
- Caroline Gillman, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847
- I Gillman, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 2
- John Gillman, aged 22, who landed in New York, NY in 1855 2
- E Gillman, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1855 2
Gillman migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Gillman Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Ezekiel Gillman, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749
Gillman Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- Elizabeth Gillman, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1807
- Mary Gillman, aged 21, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Thomas Hanford" from Cork, Ireland
Gillman migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Gillman Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. William Gillman, British Convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
- Thomas Gillman, English convict from Wiltshire, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on October 22nd, 1824, settling in New South Wales, Australia 4
- Edward Gillman, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "Canton" in 1838 5
Gillman 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:
Gillman Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Thoams R. Gillman, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Annie Wilson" in 1863
- Harriet B. Gillman, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Annie Wilson" in 1863
- Mary S. Gillman, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Annie Wilson" in 1863
- George M. Gillman, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Annie Wilson" in 1863
- Harry A. Gillman, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Annie Wilson" in 1863
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Gillman (post 1700) +
- Richard Gillman, American Editor
- Henry Gillman, American Chemist
- Sidney "Sid" Gillman (1911-2003), American football coach and innovator
- Michael J. Gillman, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Delegate to Michigan State Constitutional Convention from Bay County, 1961; Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Bay County, 1962 6
- Michael A. Gillman, American Libertarian politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1992 6
- Jim Gillman, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Wyoming, 2008 6
- J. W. Gillman, American politician, Mayor of Orem, Utah, 1953 6
- Robin Gillman, Foreign Service
- Richard Gillman, Educational Administrator
Citations +
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
- State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1824 with 9 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1824
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CANTON 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Canton.htm
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html