GILMOUR
The surname Gilmour is a Celtic name of Gaelic origin that has been carried mainly through the Scottish and Irish populations of the British Isles. Its earliest attestations appear in the early twelfth and thirteenth centuries and it has since spread to the wider English‑speaking world.
It is derived from the Gaelic patronymic MacGilleMhoire, meaning “son of the servant of Mary.” The element Giolla denotes a religious devotee or youthful servant, and Mhoire refers to the Virgin Mary. Consequently, the name has long been associated with devout Christian families that identified themselves in relation to the Virgin.
Alternate interpretations emphasise the personal elements of the original Gaelic. In some scholarship the components giolla (servant or lad) and mór (big or large) are taken to give a literal meaning of “the big lad.” This reading reflects a common medieval convention in which the second element of a patronymic indicated a characteristic or honour bestowed upon the bearer.
Geographical distribution is largely concentrated in Scotland – particularly in the historic counties of Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Argyllshire and Aberdeenshire – and the Strathclyde region. In Ireland the name appears as an anglicised version of MacGiolla Mhuire, and there is also evidence of a locational origin in northern Yorkshire from the place name Gillamoor. In modern times records of the surname are found throughout the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, England and along the Atlantic diaspora in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Historical evidence for the surname dates back to the early twelfth century. The first recorded spelling appears in a 1228 witness list as Richard Gilemor, appearing in the Feet of Fines of Huntingdonshire during the reign of Henry I, the monarch known as “The Frenchman.” Subsequent entries include Gillechad Gillamor of 1304, a record of a man who witnessed a grant of land. Later parish registers record christenings in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries: Margaret Gilmer, daughter of Willim and Elner, was christened at St. Dunstan’s, Stepney on 15 August 1586; Elizabeth Gilmour, daughter of Johan and Mary, was christened at St. Michael’s, Bassishaw on 29 November 1761. In the mid‑nineteenth century an emigrant, Catherine Gilmore, aged 25, departed Liverpool aboard the Montezuma bound for New York in May 1846, a journey typical of famine‑driven migration.
The heraldic achievement granted to a family of the name comprises a silver shield with a green chevron between three green trefoils slipped, flanking a field of three silver hunting horns. The crest features a dexter hand fesseways, couped, holding a writing pen. This emblem reflects the solemnity and memorability attached to the family name in the heraldic tradition.
Variants of the surname are numerous. The earliest spellings – such as Gillmor, Gilmer, Kolmore and Golour – illustrate the orthographic fluidity of medieval record keeping. In contemporary usage you encounter forms including Gillmore, Gilmur, Gilmor and the anglicised variants Gilmore and Gilmer. All of these forms trace back to the same Gaelic root and represent the spread of the name across linguistic and national borders.
Prominent individuals bearing the surname span several fields. In music, the English guitarist and songwriter David Gilmour gained worldwide recognition as a member of the rock group Pink Floyd; in sport, Canadian ice‑hockey player Doug Gilmour achieved acclaim in the National Hockey League and on the international stage. Their achievements demonstrate the extent to which holders of the surname have excelled in diverse domains while maintaining a name rooted in a rich Gaelic heritage.
Typical given names associated with the Gilmour surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- David
- Ian
- James
- John
- Paul
- Robert
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Anne
- Catherine
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Karen
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Gilmour in...
Braille
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Morse
--....-..-----..-.-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 9,081 people named Gilmour in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,038th most common surname in Britain. Around 139 in a million people in Britain are named Gilmour.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Ireland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Gilmour
- David Gilmour - Guitarist, songwriter and co-lead vocalist of Pink Floyd
- Billy Gilmour - Scottish football player
- Ginger Gilmour - Sculptor
- Ian Gilmour, Baron Gilmour of Craigmillar - Politician (1926 to 2007)
- Sir David Gilmour, 4th Baronet - Baronet
- Charlie Gilmour - Association football midfielder
- Kirsty Gilmour - Badminton player
- Harvey Gilmour - Football player
- Sir John Gilmour, 2nd Baronet - Politician (1876 to 1940)
- Lee Gilmour - Rugby league player
- Brian Gilmour - Scottish football player
- Angela Gilmour - Sprinter
- Sir John Gilmour, 3rd Baronet - Politician (1912 to 2007)
- Mhairi Catherine Gilmour-McGuire - Association football player
- Stuart Gilmour - Football player
- Bill Gilmour - Scots television director
- Angus Gilmour - Badminton player
- Richard Gilmour - Roman Catholic bishop (1824 to 1891)
- Charlie Gilmour - Association football defender
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.