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Irish surname

Gilmore: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Mac Giolla Mhuire · 'son of Giolla Mhuire' (servant of Mary)

Woulfe (1923) lists Gilmore among the anglicised forms of Mac Giolla Mhuire, 'son of Giolla Mhuire' (servant of Mary), the name of a family in Co. Down who were chiefs of Ui Derca Cein, in the barony of Castlereagh. He says the name is also in use in Scotland, where it is anglicised Morrison. Matheson's 1890 birth index finds Gilmore principally in Antrim.

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Coat of arms associated with the Gilmore surname
Irish formMac Giolla Mhuire
Meaning'son of Giolla Mhuire' (servant of Mary)
CountiesDown, Antrim
Other spellings6
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Gilmore crest gifts

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Origin of the Gilmore name

Woulfe: a Co. Down family, chiefs of Ui Derca Cein in the barony of Castlereagh, a branch of the family of O'Morna, formerly lords of Lecale, descended from Giolla Mhuire Ó Morna, whose death he says is recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters at 1276.[1]

  1. 1276Woulfe says the death of Giolla Mhuire Ó Morna, lord of Lecale, is recorded in the Four Masters.[1]
  2. 189079 Gilmore birth entries in Ireland including spelling varieties (54 spelled Gilmore, 18 Gilmour), 60 in Ulster.[2]

Where in Ireland

Co. DownWoulfe: the family were chiefs of Ui Derca Cein, in the barony of Castlereagh.[1]
Co. AntrimMatheson 1890: 'Counties in which principally found Antrim'; 60 of 79 entries were in Ulster.[2]

Other spellings

Gilmour · Gilmor · Gilmer · M'Gilmore · MacIlmurray · Kilmurry[1][2]

Scottish connection

Woulfe: 'The name is also in use in Scotland, where it is anglicised Morrison (i.e., Muire's son).'[1]

The Gilmore coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Gilmore 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.

Gilmore surname: questions

What does the surname Gilmore mean?

Woulfe lists Gilmore under Mac Giolla Mhuire, 'son of Giolla Mhuire' (servant of Mary).[1]

Where in Ireland is the Gilmore name from?

Woulfe says Mac Giolla Mhuire is the name of a family in Co. Down who were chiefs of Ui Derca Cein, in the barony of Castlereagh. In 1890 Matheson found the name principally in Antrim.[1][2]

Is Gilmore the same as Gilmour?

Woulfe lists both Gilmore and Gilmour among the anglicised forms of Mac Giolla Mhuire, and Matheson counts them together in 1890: 79 entries including spelling varieties (54 spelled Gilmore, 18 Gilmour).[1][2]

Is Gilmore a Scottish name too?

Woulfe says the name is also in use in Scotland, where it is anglicised Morrison (i.e., Muire's son).[1]

Sources

  1. Mac Giolla Mhuire — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macg/mac-giolla-mhuire.php
  2. Gilmore — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/gilmore.php

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