Show ContentsGimlyns History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient history of the name Gimlyns dates back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It was a name given to 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 Gimlyns family

The surname Gimlyns 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 Gimlyns family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gimlyns 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 Gimlyns History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gimlyns Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Gimlyns include Gamelin, Gamelyn, Gamlyn, Gimlin, Gamlin, Gamblin, Gambling, Gambeling and many more.

Early Notables of the Gimlyns family

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

Migration of the Gimlyns family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Gimlyns 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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