Gilmore (surname) Gilmore (surname) Gilmore and Gillmore are surnames with several origins and meanings. The name can be of Irish (from Ulster) and Scottish Highland origin, Anglicised from the Gaelic "Mac Gille Mhoire" (Scottish Gaelic), "Mac Giolla Mhuire" (Ulster Irish Gaelic). The name was a patronymic name meaning "servant of (the Virgin) Mary". Another origin of the surname Gilmore is Irish, with two separate meanings. In County Armagh, the name is an Anglicised form of "Mac Giolla Mhura" "servant of St. Mura" (of Fahan, County Donegal). In County Sligo, "Gilmore" is an Anglicisation of "Mac Giolla Mhir" meaning "son of the spirited
Poland (surname) the examples where the 'Mac' or 'Mc' has been dropped can be explained for several reasons. In English controlled areas of Ireland (especially around The Pale), it was declared that the Irish take on names in an English form and many were required to do so in order to do business with the powers that be, or to obtain a tenancy on English controlled land. Census takers were also allowed to use either form, with or without the Gaelic prefix. It also was not uncommon for the 'Mac' or 'Mc' prefix to simply be incorporated into the surname to result