| ![Show Contents]() Gilyard History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Scotland Ireland In the mountains of Scotland's west coast and on the Hebrides islands, the ancestors of the Gilyard family were born. Their name comes from the Gaelic words "gille Iose," which means "servant of Jesus." Early Origins of the Gilyard familyThe surname Gilyard was first found in Lothian, where a member of the family was a witness to the charter, by King David I, to the Abbey of Holyrood. In 1160, Vhtred Gilise inherited the estates in Lothian. It is also recorded that M. filius Gilise, who was a close confidant of King Malcolm IV of Scotland, was witness to a charter signed at the Abbey of Scone in 1164. Early History of the Gilyard familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gilyard research. Another 65 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1264, 1376, 1521, 1747, 1778, 1793, 1836 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Gilyard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gilyard Spelling VariationsIn various documents Gilyard has been spelled Since medieval scribes still spelled according to sound, records from that era contain an enormous number of spelling variations. Gillies, Gillis, Gillie, Gilly, Gilles, Gillieson and many more. Early Notables of the Gilyard familyAnother 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gilyard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Gilyard RankingIn the United States, the name Gilyard is the 12,839th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1  Migration of the Gilyard family to Ireland
Some of the Gilyard family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Gilyard migration to the United States | + |
The descendants of the Dalriadan families who made the great crossing of the Atlantic still dot communities along the east coast of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many of the settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Clan societies and highland games have allowed Canadian and American families of Scottish descent to recover much of their lost heritage. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that early immigrants bearing the name Gilyard or a variant listed above include:
Gilyard Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Thomas Gilyard, aged 26, who landed in Connecticut in 1812 2
Gilyard Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- John Gilyard, aged 34, who arrived in New York in 1917 aboard the ship "Anglo Patagonian" from Bordeaux, France 3
| Contemporary Notables of the name Gilyard (post 1700) | + |
- Clarence Darnell Gilyard Jr. (1955-2022), American university professor, actor, and author, best known for his roles in Matlock, Walker, Texas Ranger and Die Hard
- Marshawn "Mardy" Gilyard (b. 1986), American football wide receiver
- Keith Gilyard (b. 1952), American professor of English
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: Touch not the cat bot a glove
Motto Translation: Touch not the cat without a glove
- "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)
- Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
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Gilyard migration to the United States 
