The Irish surname Gibson is patronymic in origin, belonging to that category of surnames derived from the first name of the father of the original bearer. Thus, it simply denotes “son of Gilbert”, of which Gib{b} was a common diminutive in medieval times. Gilbert in turn originates in the Old Germanic “Gislebert”, meaning “pledge/hostage-bright”. In Ireland bearers of the name are usually descendants of the Scottish Gibson’s who settled in Ulster in the seventeenth century. The Scottish Gibson’s are a branch of the clan Buchanan. First records of their name date from 1335, when a John Gibson surrendered the Castle of Rothesay. A Thomas Gibson held land in Dumfries in 1425. The Gibson’s of Caithness and Orkney are mainly of Edinburgh origin, while the Gibson’s of Durie, date from 1500 having held land in Durie until 1785. One of the earliest references to this name in Ireland is a record of one John Gibson, the son of Thomas Gibson, who was christened on April 16, 1661 in Templemore, Derry. George Gibson, the son of William Gibson and Mary Cain, was born in May 1686 in Drumgor, Armagh. Hugh Gibson, the son of Andrew and Isabell Gibson, was christened on October 24, 1680 in Saint Catherine’s Church, Dublin. Robert Gibson wed Martha Grimes on June 20, 1690 in Lisburn, Antrim.
More recently, there is an entry for the wedding of Patrick Gibson and Anne Mahaffey, celebrated on November 18, 1846 in Donegal. Among the most notable bearers of the name have been Charles Gibson {1867-1944}, the American illustrator and creator of the “Gibson Girl”, and Paris Gibson {1830-1920}, the American pioneer. Research is of course ongoing and there may still be more documentation found that indicates an even earlier date than the one mentioned above.
Source:
TheTreeMaker.com
Gary Gibson says
“Gibson” also come from old Scottish Gaelic “Giobsan”
Douglas chaffee says
My moms family came from Sweden the Gibsons.I thought I was a descendent from Sweden.Now I’m finding out original family was Scottish
Wow, can anyone help me with this?
Buddy Gibson says
Gibson is hard to track down to a single area. I firmly believe that Gibson is Scandinavian and merely a part of those who conquered then assimilated. So we are mutts… yeah… but most importantly…. we are survivors. Goodluck on your quest.
Gibson says
Well the name is most certainly not Scandinavian. Unless one considers that the name came about from the Normans who invaded England. Of course the Normans were first and second generation Norsemen, that’s the name of their French enclave, Normandie. As immediate descendants of Scandinavia, they brought Scandinavian cultural traits with them to England. Attaching the suffix “son“, is of course, a Scandinavian cultural trait. But the name Gibson arose in northern England and southern Scotland. The people who bore the name were most certainly not Scandinavian.
Lashondra says
Same here!! Wow!
Kris Kersch says
Check Tyrone County, Ireland. Gibson branches plentifully, like Smith.
regie gibson says
Well, I am an African-American with the same last name. So, how the name came to me is very different than how it came to you. According to my DNA profile, the English/Scottish/Irish genes entered my family lineage between 1700 and 1750 or somewhere thereabouts. So, as you can guess, it was most likely not cordially invited to do so. So, I am most likely the product of a rape.
However, I am very interested in finding out about the Gibson or Gibson’s who immigrated to America in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Any info?
Kris Kersch says
http://www.gibsonfamilyhistory.com
Click link>click family frees>scroll down & select>go to the right click>Tree
There are allot of trees. A Gibson could be related to King Caibre Liffeachair on FamilySearch.org LVDT-V74
I think we talked before. Good luck. Kris