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Irish surname

Gilmartin: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac Giolla Mhártain · 'son of Giolla Mhártain' (servant of St. Martin)

Woulfe (1923) gives Gilmartin as an anglicised form of Mac Giolla Mhártain, 'son of Giolla Mhártain' (servant of St. Martin), the name of an Ulster family who were anciently chiefs of Cinel Fearadhaigh. He says that in the 16th century it was common in Monaghan, Sligo and Roscommon. Matheson's 1890 index has 24 Gilmartin and 22 Kilmartin birth entries.

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Coat of arms associated with the Gilmartin surname
Irish formMac Giolla Mhártain
Meaning'son of Giolla Mhártain' (servant of St. Martin)
CountiesMonaghan, Sligo, Roscommon, Leitrim
Other spellings4

Origin of the Gilmartin name

Woulfe: 'the name of an Ulster family who were anciently chiefs of Cinel Fearadhaigh. In the 16th century, it was common in Monaghan, Sligo and Roscommon, and was also found in many other parts of Ireland.'[1]

  1. 16th centuryWoulfe: common in Monaghan, Sligo and Roscommon.[1]
  2. 189024 Gilmartin birth entries (Connaught 23, Ulster 1; 14 in Sligo, 8 in Leitrim).[2]
  3. 189022 Kilmartin birth entries (Leinster 8, Munster 6, Connaught 8), principally in Roscommon.[3]

Where in Ireland

Co. MonaghanWoulfe: the name was common there in the 16th century.[1]
Co. SligoCommon there in the 16th century (Woulfe); 14 Gilmartin entries in Sligo in 1890.[1][2]
Co. RoscommonCommon there in the 16th century (Woulfe); Kilmartin principally found there in 1890.[1][3]
Co. Leitrim8 Gilmartin birth entries in Leitrim in 1890.[2]

Other spellings

Kilmartin · Guilmartin · M'Gilmartin · M'Gillamartin[1][4][3]

The Gilmartin coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Gilmartin surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Gilmartin crest gifts

Clan Gilmartin Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap HN12 Gilmartin Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Gilmartin Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Kilmartin Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap ND79 Kilmartin Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Kilmartin Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Kilmartin Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapIZ23 Classic Cap - Kilmartin Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Kilmartin Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Gilmartin Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapRC47 Classic Cap - Gilmartin Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Gilmartin Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00

Gilmartin surname: questions

What does the surname Gilmartin mean?

Woulfe gives it as a form of Mac Giolla Mhártain, 'son of Giolla Mhártain' (servant of St. Martin).[1]

Where is the Gilmartin name from in Ireland?

Woulfe says it is the name of an Ulster family who were anciently chiefs of Cinel Fearadhaigh, and that in the 16th century it was common in Monaghan, Sligo and Roscommon.[1]

Is Kilmartin the same name as Gilmartin?

Woulfe prints Kilmartin among the forms of Mac Giolla Mhártain, and Matheson's 1901 list cross-refers Kilmartin and Gilmartin; his 1890 index counts them separately (24 Gilmartin, 22 Kilmartin).[1][4][2][3]

Is Gilmartin sometimes written as Martin?

Woulfe lists Martin among the forms and says the name 'is, no doubt, in many instances now disguised under the anglicised form of Martin'.[1]

Sources

  1. Mac Giolla Mhártain — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macg/mac-giolla-mhartain.php
  2. Gilmartin — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/gilmartin.php
  3. Kilmartin — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/kilmartin.php
  4. Gilmartin — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/711.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).