Gillespie (surname) explained

Gillespie is both a masculine given name and a surname in the English language. Variants include Gillaspie and Gillispie.

Origins

The given name is an Anglicised form of the Gaelic Gille Easbaig (also rendered Gilleasbaig), meaning "bishop's servant".[1] The surname Gillespie is an Anglicised form of the Scottish Gaelic Mac Gille Easbuig, and the Irish Mac Giolla Easpaig, both of which mean "bishop's servant's son".[2] The given name itself is derived from a word of Latin origin,[3] the Old Irish epscop being derived from the Latin episcopus.[4]

An early example of the name in Scotland occurs in a charter dated 1175 - 1199, recording a certain "Ewano filio Gillaspeck".[5] In Ireland, a family bearing the surname occupied the office of toísech of Clann Aílebra in the late twelfth century.[6] In 1172, for example, the toísech was slain by Donn Slébe Ua hEochada, King of Ulster. This slain Mac Gilla Espuic may be identical to a certain Gilla Óengusa mac Gilla Espuic, rechtaire of the Monaig of Ulster, who is earlier recorded in the king's service.[7] Whatever the case, a later family bearing the surname appears on record as erenaghs of Kilraine in County Donegal. During the 16th and 17th centuries in Ireland, the surname was most common in Ulster. During the nineteenth century in Ireland, the surname was most numerous in the counties of Antrim, Donegal, Armagh, and Tyrone.[8] Scottish Gaelic forms of the surname include GillEasbuig[9] and GillEasbaig.[10]

Gillespie

Fictional characters

Gillaspie

Gillispie

See also

References

  1. Book: Hanks . P . Patrick Hanks . Hardcastle . K . Hodges . F . 2006 . A Dictionary of First Names . Oxford Paperback Reference . 2nd . . Oxford . 978-0-19-861060-1 . 400, 404 .
  2. Web site: Gillespie Family History . . 26 November 2014 .
  3. Book: Black, GF . 1971 . 1946 . The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning, and History . . New York . 0-87104-172-3 . 306 . Accessed via Open Library.
  4. Web site: Letter E, Column 157 . https://archive.today/20141206010853/http://edil.qub.ac.uk/dictionary/index2.php?letter=E&column=157 . dead . 6 December 2014 . 30 November 2014 . The electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language (eDIL) .
  5. Book: 1833 . Cartularium Comitatus de Levanax . . Edinburgh . 12 . Accessed via Google Books.
  6. Book: MacLysaght, E . Edward MacLysaght . 1996 . More Irish Families: A New Revised and Enlarged Edition of More Irish Families, Incorporating Supplement to Irish Families, with an Essay on Irish Chieftainries . Irish Academic Press . Dublin . 0-7165-2604-2 . 109 . Accessed via Open Library.
  7. Book: Byrne, FJ . Francis John Byrne . 2008 . 2005 . Ireland and Her Neighbours, c.1014 - c.1072 . Ó Cróinín . D . Dáibhí Ó Cróinín . Prehistoric and Early Ireland . New History of Ireland (series vol. 1) . . Oxford . 862 - 898 . 978-0-19-821737-4 .
  8. Book: O'Laughlin, M . 1992 . The Book of Irish Families Great & Small . Irish Genealogical Foundation . Kansas City . 0-940134-08-X . 125 . Accessed via Open Library.
  9. Book: Owen, RC . 1993 . The Modern Gaelic-English Dictionary . Gairm Publishers . Glasgow . 1-871901-29-4 . 138 .
  10. Book: Mark, C . 2003 . The Gaelic-English Dictionary . . New York . 0-203-27706-6 . 719 .

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