The Strongbownians added their own naming traditions to the eastern region of
Ireland to which they arrived. The impact of this new tradition was not extremely disruptive to the pre-existing Irish tradition because the two had many similarities. Both cultures made significant use of
hereditary surnames. And like the Irish, the Strongbownians often used prefixes to build
patronymic surnames, which are names based on the given name of the initial bearer's father or another older relative. Strongbow's followers often created names that were built with the prefix Fitz-, which was derived from the French word fils, and ultimately from the Latin
filius, both of which mean son. They also used diminutive suffixes such as "-ot," "-et," "-un," "-in," or "-el," and occasionally even two suffixes combined to form a double diminutive such as "-el-in," "-el-ot," "-in-ot," and "-et-in," to build patronymic names. The surname Garrald is derived from the Norman
personal name Gerald, which consists of the Germanic elements "geri" or "gari," which mean "spear," and "wald," which means "rule." The name features the distinctive Irish patronymic prefix fitz, which means son of in Anglo-French. This is derived from the Old French word "fils," which ultimately comes from the Latin word "filius." The Gaelic form of the surname Garrald is "Mac Gerailt."
Early Origins of the Garrald family
The surname Garrald was first found in
Munster, where they were granted lands by the Earl of Pembroke during his invasion of
Ireland in 1172. Otho Geraldino, one of the chief commanders of Williams the Conqueror landed in
England at the time of the Conquest and was created a
Baron for his efforts. As Norman constable of Pembroke, South
Wales, he went into
Ireland with
Strongbow in the Anglo-
Norman invasion. Two generations later, Maurice was the first to use the name Fitzgerald. He was granted lands in
Munster in the south of
Ireland.
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
Early History of the Garrald family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Garrald research.
Another 663 words (47 lines of text) covering the years 1333, 1411, 1316, 1716, 1513, 1537, 1411, 1809, 1883, 1534, 1612, 1660, 1634, 1664, 1660, 1660 and 1661 are included under the topic Early Garrald History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Garrald Spelling Variations
Medieval scribes and church officials spelt names simply the way they sounded, which explains the various name
spelling variations of the name Garrald that were encountered when researching that surname. The many spelling variations included: Fitzgerald, Geraldines, Desmond, Gerald, Geralds and others.
Early Notables of the Garrald family (pre 1700)
Notable amongst the family up to this time was Gerald Fitzgerald, ninth Earl who was impeached of high treason and died for his causes at the Tower of London 1534; George FitzGerald, 16th Earl of
Kildare (1612-1660), known as the "Fairy Earl", for no...
Another 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Garrald Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Garrald family to the New World and Oceana
A great number of
Irish families left their homeland in the late 18th century and throughout the 19th century, migrating to such far away lands as
Australia and North America. The early settlers left after much planning and deliberation. They were generally well off but they desired a tract of land that they could farm solely for themselves. The great mass of immigrants to arrive on North American shores in the 1840s differed greatly from their predecessors because many of them were utterly destitute, selling all they had to gain a passage on a ship or having their way paid by a philanthropic society. These Irish people were trying to escape the aftermath of the Great Potato Famine: poverty, starvation, disease, and, for many, ultimately death. Those that arrived on North American shores were not warmly welcomed by the established population, but they were vital to the rapid development of the industry, agriculture, and infrastructure of the infant nations of the United States and what would become Canada. Early passenger and immigration lists reveal many Irish settlers bearing the name Garrald: Redmond Fitzgerald landed in Virginia in 1635.
The Garrald 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: Crom aboo
Motto Translation: Crom for ever.