Show ContentsGillan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Gillan Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Gillan

What does the name Gillan mean?

The original Gaelic form of Gillan was Ó Giollain, from the word "giolla," which means "lad." 1

Early Origins of the Gillan family

The surname Gillan was first found in County Donegal (Irish: Dún na nGall), northwest Ireland in the province of Ulster, sometimes referred to as County Tyrconnel, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Gillan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gillan research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gillan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gillan Spelling Variations

Names during the Middle Ages were often recorded under several different spelling variations during the life of their bearers. Literacy was rare at that time and so how a person's name was recorded was decided by the individual scribe. Variations of the name Gillan include Gillan, Gillinan, Gillen, Gillon, Gillfinan, Gillion and many more.

Early Notables of the Gillan family

More information is included under the topic Early Gillan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gillan Ranking

the United States, the name Gillan is the 16,533rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Gillan migration to the United States +

Many destitute Irish families in the 18th and 19th centuries decided to leave their homeland, which had in many ways been scarred by English colonial rule. One of the most frequent destinations for these families was North America where it was possible for an Irish family to own their own parcel of land. Many of the early settlers did find land awaiting them in British North America, or even later in America, but for the majority of immigrants that arrived as a result of the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s the ownership of land was often a long way off. These Irish people were initially put to work on such industrial projects as the building of bridges, canals, and railroads, or they worked at manufacturing positions within factories. Whenever they arrived, the Irish made enormous contributions to the infant nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the earliest immigrants to bearer the name of Gillan were found through extensive research of immigration and passenger lists:

Gillan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Hugh Gillan, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 3
Gillan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James Gillan, who settled in New York in 1803
  • George Gillan, aged 30, who arrived in New York in 1812 3
  • Mich Gillan, who landed in New York, NY in 1812 3
  • Darby Gillan, who landed in New York, NY in 1815 3
  • Sally Gillan, who arrived in New York, NY in 1815 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gillan migration to Canada +

Gillan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Eliza Gillan, aged 3 months who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Agent" departing from the port of New Ross, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in July 1847 4
  • Mr. James Gillan, aged 36 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Agent" departing from the port of New Ross, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle on July 9th, 1847 4
  • Mr. Alexander Gillan, aged 50 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Marchioness of Bute" departing 10th June 1847 from Belfast, Ireland; the ship arrived on 31st July 1847 but he died on board 5
  • Mr. John Gillan, aged 4 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Numa" departing 2nd June 1847 from Sligo, Ireland; the ship arrived on 27th July 1847 but he died on board 5
  • Minnie Gillan, who arrived in Esquimalt, British Columbia in 1862

Gillan migration to Australia +

Gillan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Gillan, (b. 1803), aged 35, Irish farm labourer who was convicted in Antrim, Ireland for 10 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Clyde" on 11th May 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
  • Mary Gillan, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Superb" in 1839 7
  • David Gillan, aged 34, a bricklayer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "William Stevenson" 8

Gillan 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:

Gillan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Sarah Gillan, aged 29, a domestic servant, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1878

Contemporary Notables of the name Gillan (post 1700) +

  • Karen Sheila Gillan (b. 1987), Scottish multiple award winning actress and former model from Inverness, Scotland, known for Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) and many more
  • Dame Cheryl Elise Kendall Gillan DBE (1952-2021), British politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Chesham and Amersham from 1992 until her death, Shadow Secretary of State for Wales (2005-2010), Secretary of State for Wales (2010-2012), Chairman of the 1922 Committee (2019)
  • Lisa Roberts Gillan (b. 1965), American actress, known for Maid in Manhattan (2002), Eat Pray Love (2010) and Raising Helen (2004).
  • Maria Mazziotti Gillan (b. 1940), American poet
  • W. Rush Gillan, American politician, Member of Pennsylvania State House of Representatives from Franklin County, 1891-92 9
  • Kim J. Gillan, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Montana, 2008 10
  • Henry E. Gillan, American politician, Mayor of El Cerrito, California, 1956-58 10
  • George C. Gillan, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Nebraska, 1912 10
  • Charles H. Gillan, American Democratic Party politician, Chair of Franklin County Democratic Party, 1937; Candidate for Presidential Elector for Pennsylvania, 1956 10
  • ... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
HMS Hood
  • Mr. Joseph Gillan (b. 1920), Scottish Marine serving for the Royal Marine from Musselburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 10
  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)
  4. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 30)
  5. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 77)
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clyde
  7. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SUPERB 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Superb.htm
  8. South Australian Register Friday 2nd February 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) William Stevenson 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/williamstevenson1855.shtml
  9. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  10. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm

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