Gorman Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Gorman last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Gorman last name
Meaning of the Gorman last name: son of Gormán ("little blue one"). Gorman comes from the Gaelic Mac Gormáin, "son of Gormán", a pet name from the word for "blue" or "dark". The family began in Leinster and later settled in County Clare. The name is most common in Clare, Tipperary and Dublin, and also in Boston. A curious detail: the original Mac was often swapped for O, so Gorman, MacGorman and O'Gorman can all be the same family.
Arms associated with the Gorman name
Irish shields often use green and gold, colours linked with the land and good fortune, a feel shared by the arms associated with the Gorman name.
Get your full Gorman family history
This is only a glimpse of the Gorman story. The full Gorman history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Gorman coat of arms. Get the full Gorman report.
Gorman name FAQ
What does the Gorman name mean?
Son of Gormán ("little blue one"). Common variants include O'Gorman, MacGorman, Gormon.
Where does the Gorman surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States, England and Australia.
Is there a Gorman coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Gorman coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.