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Irish surname

Gormley: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Goirmleaghaigh, Ó Goirmshleaghaigh · 'descendant of Goirmshleaghach' (blue-spearman)

Woulfe (1923) gives Gormley as an anglicised form of Ó Goirmleaghaigh, 'descendant of Goirmshleaghach' (blue-spearman), the name of a distinguished Ulster family who were chiefs of Cinel Moen. The Annals of the Four Masters record O'Gormly chiefs of Kinel-Moen in the 13th and 14th centuries. Woulfe also gives Gormley as a form of other Irish names borne by families in Mayo and Roscommon. In 1890 Ireland's birth indexes held 44 entries including spelling varieties (31 spelled Gormley), chiefly in Antrim and Tyrone.

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Coat of arms associated with the Gormley surname
Irish formÓ Goirmleaghaigh, Ó Goirmshleaghaigh
Meaning'descendant of Goirmshleaghach' (blue-spearman)
CountiesDonegal, Mayo, Roscommon, Antrim
Other spellings6

Origin of the Gormley name

Woulfe: Ó Goirmleaghaigh were chiefs of Cinel Moen, a sub-clan of Cinel Eoghain, originally seated in the barony of Raphoe, Co. Donegal; expelled by the Cinel Conaill in the 13th century, they settled between Strabane and Derry. Gormley also anglicises Ó Gormghail (Mayo lords of Carra; Roscommon erenaghs of Elphin) and Ó Goirmghialla (Mayo lords of Partry).[1][2][3]

  1. 1177Four Masters: Niall O'Gormly, Lord of Magh-Ithe and Kinel-Enda, slain in Derry.[8]
  2. 1178Four Masters: Kinel-Moen restore Donnell, son of Donnell O'Gormly, as chief.[8]
  3. 1232Four Masters: Conor, son of Niall O'Gormly, Chief of Kinel-Moen, died.[9]
  4. 1260Four Masters: Auliffe O'Gormly among the chieftains slain at Druim-dearg.[10]
  5. 1261Four Masters: Niall O'Gormly, Chief of Kinel-Moen, died.[10]
  6. 1340Four Masters: Melaghlin O'Gormly, Chief of Kinel-Moen, died.[11]
  7. 1608Woulfe: the family kept considerable property until the plantation of Ulster.[1]
  8. 1690'O GORMELY' appears in Sir James Terry's list of Irish septs.[7]
  9. 189044 birth entries including spelling varieties (31 spelled Gormley); chiefly Antrim and Tyrone.[5][12]

Where in Ireland

Co. DonegalÓ Goirmleaghaigh, chiefs of Cinel Moen, were originally seated in the barony of Raphoe.[1]
Co. MayoÓ Gormghail anciently lords of the barony of Carra; Ó Goirmghialla formerly lords of Partry.[2][3]
Co. RoscommonAn Ó Gormghail family were formerly erenaghs of Elphin, per Woulfe.[2]
Co. AntrimOne of the two counties where Gormley births were principally found in 1890.[5]
Co. TyroneOne of the two counties where Gormley births were principally found in 1890.[5]

Notable people named Gormley

Niall O'Gormlyd. 1177Lord of the men of Magh-Ithe and Kinel-Enda; killed in the doorway of a burning house in Derry (Four Masters).[8]
Donnell, son of Donnell O'Gormlyd. 1178Banished, restored as chief by the Kinel-Moen, then slain by the sons of Rory O'Flaherty (Four Masters).[8]
Auliffe O'Gormlyd. 1260Named among the Irish chieftains slain at the battle of Druim-dearg, near Downpatrick (Four Masters).[10]

Other spellings

O'Gormley · Gormilly · Gormaly · Grumley · Grimley · MacCormilla[1]

The Gormley coat of arms

'O GORMELY' is printed in the 'List of Names of Irish Septs as given in the Book of Arms, compiled by Sir James Terry, Athlone Herald (1690)', as reproduced by Matheson. The list gives sept names only; it does not describe any arms, and it does not mean that everyone named Gormley is entitled to a coat of arms.[7]

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

Gormley crest gifts

Clan Ogormley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap RH20 Ogormley Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Ogormley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Gormley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap TL26 Gormley Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Gormley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap£26.00Clan Ogormley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapLK78 Classic Cap - Ogormley Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Ogormley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00Clan Gormley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapMV39 Classic Cap - Gormley Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Gormley Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00

Gormley surname: questions

What does the surname Gormley mean?

Woulfe gives Gormley as a form of Ó Goirmleaghaigh, 'descendant of Goirmshleaghach', which he glosses as 'blue-spearman'. For Ó Gormghail, the name of families in Mayo and Roscommon, he gives 'descendant of Gormghal' (blue-valour).[1][2]

Is Gormley an Irish name?

Yes. Woulfe lists Gormley as an anglicised form of several Irish surnames, including Ó Goirmleaghaigh of Ulster and Ó Gormghail of Mayo and Roscommon.[1][2]

Where in Ireland is the Gormley name from?

Woulfe says the Ulster family were chiefs of Cinel Moen, originally seated in the barony of Raphoe, Co. Donegal, and later settled between Strabane and Derry. Other families of the name were in Mayo and Roscommon. In 1890 Gormley births were found chiefly in Antrim and Tyrone.[1][2][5]

Who were the chiefs of Kinel-Moen?

The Annals of the Four Masters record O'Gormly chiefs of Kinel-Moen, for example Conor (d. 1232), Niall (d. 1261) and Melaghlin (d. 1340). Woulfe says the Ó Goirmleaghaigh family were chiefs of Cinel Moen.[9][10][11][1]

Sources

  1. Ó Goirmleaghaigh — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/og/o-goirmleaghaigh.php
  2. Ó Gormghail — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/og/o-gormghail.php
  3. Ó Goirmghialla — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/og/o-goirmghialla.php
  4. Mac Gormghail — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macg/mac-gormghail-mac-gormghaile.php
  5. Gormley — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/gormley.php
  6. Gormley — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/739.php
  7. List of Names of Irish Septs (Terry, 1690) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/irish-septs.php
  8. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1175–1180 (part 1) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text001.html
  9. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1232 (part 7) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text007.html
  10. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1260–1261 (part 9) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text009.html
  11. Annals of the Four Masters (trans. John O'Donovan), 1340 (part 17) — CELT edition, CELT, University College Cork. celt.ucc.ie/published/T100005C/text017.html
  12. Table Explanation — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/table-explanation.php

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