Gatly History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

Etymology of Gatly

What does the name Gatly mean?

In Scottish history, few names go farther back than Gatly, whose ancestors lived among the clans of the Pictish tribe. They lived in some place which is now obscure. The surname Gatly belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. 1

Other sources claim the name is "a nickname for messenger, runner, 2 or "a messenger or runner [who] was fleet of foot." 3

Early Origins of the Gatly family

The surname Gatly was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Gatly family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gatly research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1291, 1296, 1745, 1762, 1784 and 1789 are included under the topic Early Gatly History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gatly Spelling Variations

The arts of spelling and translation were yet in their infancies when surnames began, so there are an enormous number of spelling variations of the names in early Scottish records. This is a particular problem with Scottish names because of the numerous times a name might have been loosely translated to English from Gaelic and back. Gatly has been spelled Galletly, Gallightly, Gellatly, Gellately, Gillatly, Golightly and many more.

Early Notables of the Gatly family

Anne Catleyborn, born in 1745 in an alley near "Tower Hill, London of very humble parents, her father being a hackney coachman, and her mother a washerwoman. Endowed with great personal beauty, a charming voice, and a natural talent for singing, she gained her living at the early age of 10 years by singing in the public houses in the neighbourhood, and also for the diversion of the officers quartered in the Tower. When about 15 years of age she was apprenticed by her father to William Bates for...
Another 88 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gatly Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gatly migration to the United States +

This oppression forced many Scots to leave their homelands. Most of these chose North America as their destination. Although the journey left many sick and poor, these immigrants were welcomed the hardy with great opportunity. Many of these settlers stood up for their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. More recently, Scots abroad have recovered much of their collective heritage through highland games and other patriotic functions and groups. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has located various settlers bearing the name Gatly:

Gatly Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Gatly, who landed in New England in 1661 4

The Gatly 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: Hactenus invictus
Motto Translation: Hitherto unconquered.

Sources +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
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)