Origin of the Name Gilmartin
The
Gilmartin family history was found in the allfamilycrests.com archives.
Over the centuries Surnames developed a wide number of variants. Different spellings of the same name can be traced back to an original root. Additionally when a bearer of a name emigrated it was not uncommon that their original name would be incorrectly transcribed in the record books at their new location. Surnames were also often altered over the years based on how they sounded phonetically and depending on the prevailing political conditions it may have been advantageous to change a name from one language to another.
Variants of the name Gilmartin
include Martin, Kilmartin and McGilmartin. This name was borne of a fourth century Saint, Martin of Tours, and became extremely popular in the Middle Ages. This name is of Celtic origin and is found throughout England , Ireland , Scotland and Wales. It is found in many mediaeval manuscripts in these countries. Examples of such are a Johannes Martynson who was recorded in the 'Poll Tax' of the West Riding of Yorkshire in the year 1379. A Walter Martyn was Burgess of Edinburgh, Scotland , in the year 1386. In Ireland the Martins were one of 'The Tribes of Galway ', and arrived with Strongbow. Tyrone is the homeland of another sept. They were called MacGilmartin in the seventeenth century, and later Kilmartin. Being Chiefs of the Barony of Clougher, they were gradually forced West to Counties Leitrim and Sligo.
The Gilmartin coat of arms came into existence centuries ago. The process of creating coats of arms (also often called family crests) began in the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this. The new art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own coat of arms, including all Gilmartin descendants.