This interesting surname is of Anglo-Saxon or Scottish and Irish origin, and is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic "MacGille Mhoire" (Scotland), or "MacGiolla Mhuire" (Ireland), a patronymic from the personal names meaning "servant of (the Virgin) Mary". It can also be a locational name from Gillamoor in Northern Yorkshire, so called from the Olde English pre 7th Century personal names "Getlingas" or "Gyolingas", meaning "people of Getta", or "people of Gyola", and "mor", marsh or moor. This surname dates back to the early 13th Century (see below), and further early recordings include, Gillechad Gillamor (1304), who witnessed a grant by Huctred. In the modern idiom the surname can be found recorded as Gillmor(e), Gilmer, Kolmore and Golour. Recordings from London Church Registers include: the christening of Margaret, daughter of Willim and Elner Gilmer, on August 15th 1586, at St. Dunstan's, Stepney, and the christening of Elizabeth, daughter of Johan and Mary Gilmour, on November 29th 1761, at St. Michael's, Bassishaw. Catherine Gilmore, aged 25 yrs., a famine immigrant, sailed from Liverpool aboard the "Montezuma", bound for New York in May 1846. A Coat of Arms granted to a family of the name is on a silver shield a green chevron, between three green trefoils slipped, three hunting horns stringed silver, the Crest being a dexter hand fesseways couped, holding a writing pen proper. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard Gilemor, which was dated 1228, witness in the "Feet of Fines of Huntingdonshire", during the reign of King Henry 111, known as "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

© Copyright: Name Origin Research 1980 - 2024