Gipson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Dalriadan clans of ancient Scotland spawned the ancestors of the Gipson family. Their name comes from the given name Gibb, which is a diminutive form of the name Gilbert. 1
Early Origins of the Gipson family
The surname Gipson 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 Gipson family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gipson 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 Gipson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Gipson Spelling Variations
The medieval practice of spelling according to sound and repeated translation between Gaelic and English created many spelling variations of the same name. Gipson has been recorded as Gibson, Gibsone, Gibsons, Gipson, Gibsoun, Gipsone, Gibbson, Gibbsone, Gippson and many more.
Early Notables of the Gipson family
Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Richard Gibson (1615-1690), known as "Dwarf Gibson", a painter of portrait miniatures and a court dwarf in England during the reigns of Charles I, Oliver Cromwell, Charles II and William and Mary; Sir John Gibson, of Alderstone, in Ratho parish, near Edinburgh; and his son, Sir John Gibson (ca. 1637-1717), founder of the Gloucestershire Regiment and Member of Parliament for Portsmouth, 1696-1698 and 1702.
Thomas Gibson (d. 1562), was an English printer, medical practitioner, and theological writer and a native of Morpeth, Northumberland.
Sir Alexander Gibson , Lord Durie (d. 1644), was a Scottish judge...
Another 151 words (11 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gipson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Gipson Ranking
In the United States, the name Gipson is the 1,500th most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 3
Migration of the Gipson family to Ireland
Some of the Gipson 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.
Gipson migration to the United States +
Descendents of Dalriadan-Scottish families still populate many communities across North America. They are particularly common in Canada, since many went north as United Empire Loyalists at the time of the American War of Independence. Much later, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the highland games and Clan societies that now dot North America sprang up, allowing many Scots to recover their lost national heritage. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Gipson, or a variant listed above:
Gipson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Ann Gipson, who arrived in Maryland in 1673 4
Gipson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Peter Gipson, who landed in Virginia in 1717 4
- William Gipson, aged 16, who landed in New Jersey in 1776 4
Gipson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Minna Gipson, aged 19, who immigrated to the United States, in 1892
- Rose Gipson, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States, in 1896
Gipson Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Sarah T. Gipson, who immigrated to the United States, in 1903
- Miss H. A. Gipson, aged 40, who landed in America, in 1903
- Robert Gipson, aged 32, who landed in America from Annalong, Ireland, in 1907
- Harry Gipson, aged 23, who landed in America from Norfolk, England, in 1908
- Sarah Gipson, aged 35, who settled in America, in 1910
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Gipson 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:
Gipson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Charles Gipson, aged 22, a bricklayer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "La Hogue" in 1874
Contemporary Notables of the name Gipson (post 1700) +
- Frederick Benjamin "Fred" Gipson (1908-1973), American author, best known for writing the 1956 novel Old Yeller, which became a popular 1957 Walt Disney film
- Dr. Mack Gipson Jr. (1931-1995), American geologist who became the first African-American to obtain a Ph.D. in Geology
- Lawrence Henry Gipson (1880-1971), American historian who won the 1950 Bancroft Prize and the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for History
- Paul Gipson, professional American football player
- Marlies Marie Gipson (b. 1987), American collegiate basketball player
- Charles Wells Gipson Jr. (b. 1972), former Major League Baseball outfielder
- Graham Chater Gipson (1932-2023), Australian silver medalist sprinter at the 1956 Summer Olympics
- Helen Gipson (b. 1961), British Scrabble player, British Matchplay Scrabble Championsh in 1998
- Simon Gipson, Australian teacher, administrator and consultant in Perth, Western Australia
- John Gipson Roach (1933-2021), former American football quarterback and defensive back in the National Football League
The Gipson 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.
Citations +
- Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- "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)