Show ContentsGammelant History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Gammelant

What does the name Gammelant mean?

Gammelant is a name whose history dates far back into the mists of early British times to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes. It is a name for a person who was referred to as gamall, which was the Old Norman word for old.

Gameline (d. 1271), was Lord-Chancellor of Scotland and Bishop of St. Andrews, "one of the ‘Clerici Regis Alexandri II’ and archdeacon of St. Andrews. He was made Lord-Chancellor in 1250, and in 1254 was appointed one of the chaplains of Pope Innocent IV." 1

Early Origins of the Gammelant family

The surname Gammelant was first found in Somerset, where an Odo filius Gamelin was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. 2 They have also been found in Huntingdonshire and Oxfordshire since early times.

Early History of the Gammelant family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gammelant research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1255, 1271, 1273, 1379, 1625, 1666 and 1737 are included under the topic Early Gammelant History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gammelant Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Gammelant has been recorded under many different variations, including Gamelin, Gamelyn, Gamlyn, Gimlin, Gamlin, Gamblin, Gambling, Gambeling and many more.

Early Notables of the Gammelant family

Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gammelant Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gammelant family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Gammelant or a variant listed above: Elizabeth, Mary and Robert Gamlin, who sailed to Massachusetts in 1632; Josias Gambling to Virginia in 1636; and William Gambling to Philadelphia in 1846..



  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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