Surname Gilhaspy - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'G'
Gilhaspy: What does the surname Gilhaspy mean?
The surname Gilhaspy seems to be of Irish origin, possibly related to the Irish surname "O hAispeic," which has been Anglicized to Hespey, Hespy, Gilhespy, and potentially Gilhaspy. Unfortunately, clear and concrete information about the meaning and origins of the surname Gilhaspy is not well documented in genealogical or historical resources. It is common with many old names for spellings to have deviated over time due to a range of factors like migration, regional accents, and literacy levels. Therefore, it is possible that Gilhaspy could be a variant of an older, more recognizable name. Frequently, Irish surnames are formed by adding a prefix indicating a familial relation, such as "O" meaning "descendant of" or "Mac" meaning "son of" to a personal name or occupation. Researching Irish genealogy could potentially provide more insights. However, one should also consider that the name Gilhaspy could be a very rare, possibly unique surname, making tracing its definitive origin more complex.
Order DNA origin analysisGilhaspy: Where does the name Gilhaspy come from?
The surname Gilhaspy is of Irish origin, derived from Gaelic Mac Giolla Easpaig, meaning “son of the bishop’s servant.” This name was commonly found amongst the Irish diaspora, particularly in counties Donegal and Tyrone in Ireland. Today, the name is quite rare and is found sporadically around the globe. It is still most commonly found in Ireland but also exists in countries where the Irish have emigrated in large numbers, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. However, due to the rarity of the surname, it is not particularly common in any specific region or country today.
Variations of the surname Gilhaspy
The surname Gilhaspy likely originates from the Irish surname O'Gillaspie, which over time has seen a range of transformations based on geographical location and common speech patterns. Other variants may include: Gilaspy, Gillaspy, Gillaspie, Gillispy, Gillispie, Gillhespy, and Gellispie. It may also have links to Scots Gaelic surnames like MacGillespie or McGillespie; "gille" meaning servant and "spe" meaning bishop in old language, thus potentially meaning 'servant of the bishop'.
A significant proportion of the Gillaspie families were originally found in Donegal, Ireland, indicating the possibilities of further Irish variants of the surname. Similarly with the Scottish and Northern Irish variants, phonetic spelling based on accents and dialects may offer an array of alternative spellings. As with many names of Irish and Scottish origin, it is also common for them to lose their prefixes such as 'O' and 'Mac' when families migrated, particularly to places like North America. The use of Anglicized versions of the names were also typical. Therefore, shortened versions of these names such as Gilspy or Glespy may also be possibilities.
Famous people with the name Gilhaspy
- Jason Gilhaspy: American pizza chain executive and former restaurateur
- John Gilhaspy: American television and film director
- Sam Gilhaspy: American musician, songwriter and record producer
- David Gilhaspy: American classical music conductor
- Brad Gilhaspy: American film and television director
- Robert Gilhaspy: American politician and former Governor of Texas
- William Gilhaspy: American baseball player
- Michael Gilhaspy: American actor and producer
- Stephen Gilhaspy: American astrophysicist and space scientist
- Benjamin Gilhaspy: American entrepreneur and venture capitalist