Gillespie (/ɡɪˈlɛspi/) is both a masculine given name, and a surname in the English language. The given name is an Anglicised form of the Gaelic Gille Easbaig (also rendered Gilleasbaig), meaning "bishop's servant".[1] The surname Gillespie is an Anglicised form of the Scottish Gaelic Mac Gille Easbuig, and the Irish Mac Giolla Easpaig, both of which mean "servant of the bishop".[2] The given name itself is derived from a word of Latin origin.[3] Specifically, the Old Irish epscop being derived from the Latin episcopus.[4] An early example of the name in Scotland occurs in a charter dated 1175-1199, recording a certain "Ewano filio Gillaspeck".[3][5] In Ireland, a family bearing the surname occupied the office of toísech of Clann Aílebra in the late twelfth century.[6] In 1172, for example, the toísech was slain by Donn Slébe Ua hEochada, King of Ulster. This slain Mac Gilla Espuic may be identical to a certain Gilla Óengusa mac Gilla Espuic, rechtaire of the Monaig of Ulster, who is earlier recorded in the king's service.[7] Whatever the case, a later family bearing the surname appears on record as erenaghs of Kilraine in County Donegal. During the sixteenth- and seventeenth-centuries in Ireland, the surname is most common in Ulster.[6] During the nineteenth century in Ireland, the surname was most numerous in the counties of Antrim, Donegal, Armagh, and Tyrone.[8] Scottish Gaelic forms of the surname include GillEasbuig,[9] and GillEasbaig.[10] ## Contents * 1 Gillespie * 2 Gillaspie * 3 Gillispie * 4 See also * 5 References ## Gillespie[edit] * A. Arnold Gillespie (1899–1978), American cinema special effects artist * Aaron Gillespie (born 1983), American rock singer & drummer * Alastair Gillespie (born 1922), Canadian politician * Albert Gillespie (1912–1938), Australian cricketer and Royal Air Force officer * Archibald H. Gillespie (1810–1873), officer in the United States Marine Corps * Bill Gillespie (journalist) (born 1946), Canadian journalist and author * Bill Gillespie (politician) (1928–2008), American politician * Bill Gillespie (footballer) (1887–1927), Australian footballer * Billy Gillespie (1891–1981), Irish football (soccer) player * Bobby Gillespie (born 1962), Scottish rock and roll musician * Brock Gillespie (born 1982), American expatriate basketball player * Charles Gillespie (1883–1964), New Zealand rugby union player and soldier * Charles A. Gillespie Jr. (1935–2008), American diplomat * Charles Coulston Gillispie (1918–2015), American historian of science * Charlie Gillespie (born 1998), Canadian actor * Collin Gillespie (born 1999), American basketball player * Craig Gillespie (born 1967), Australian film director * Dan Gillespie Sells (born 1979), English singer * Dana Gillespie (born 1949), British actress and singer * Daniel Gillespie (born 1938), American physicist * Darlene Gillespie (born 1941), Mousketeer born in Canada * David Gillespie (disambiguation) * Dean M. Gillespie (1884–1949), American politician * Deda Gillespie, neuroscientist * Dizzy Gillespie (1917–1993), American jazz musician * Earl Gillespie (1922–2003), American sportscaster * Ed Gillespie (born 1961), American politician * Floris Gillespie (1882–1967), Scottish painter * Gary Gillespie (born 1960), Scottish footballer * George Gillespie (1613–1648), Scottish theologian * George Lewis Gillespie Jr. (1841–1913), US Army officer * Gina Gillespie (born 1951), American former child actress, now an attorney * Gregor Gillespie (born 1987), 4x NCAA Division 1 All-American Wrestler * Haven Gillespie (1888–1975), American composer and lyricist * Jacqueline Pascarl-Gillespie (born 1963), Australian author * James Gillespie (disambiguation) * Janetta Gillespie (1876–1956), Scottish artist * Jason Gillespie (born 1975), Australian cricketer * John Gillespie (disambiguation) * Joseph Gillespie (1809–1885), American politician * Keith Gillespie (born 1975), Northern Irish footballer * Kevin Gillespie (disambiguation) * Margaret V. Gillespie (born 1969), American politician * Mark Gillespie (disambiguation) * Mike Gillespie (disambiguation) * Alessa Gillespie and Dahlia Gillespie characters in the Silent Hill video game series * Chief Bill Gillespie, character in the novel In the Heat of the Night and its film and television adaptations * Dr. Leonard Gillespie, character in the Dr. Kildare and Dr. Gillespie film series * Rudy Gillespie, character on the television series Kickin' It * Tyree Gillespie (born 1998), American football player ## Gillaspie[edit] * Conor Gillaspie (born 1987), American baseball player * Kayne Gillaspie (born 1979), American fashion designer ## Gillispie[edit] * Billy Gillispie (born 1959), American basketball coach ## See also[edit] * Gillespie (disambiguation) ## References[edit] 1. ^ Hanks, P; Hardcastle, K; Hodges, F (2006). A Dictionary of First Names. Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 400, 404. ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1. 2. ^ "Gillespie Family History". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 26 November 2014. 3. ^ a b Black, GF (1971) [1946]. The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning, and History. New York: The New York Public Library. p. 306. ISBN 0-87104-172-3. Accessed via Open Library. 4. ^ "Letter E, Column 157". The electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language (eDIL). Archived from the original on 6 December 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2014. 5. ^ Cartularium Comitatus de Levanax. Edinburgh: Maitland Club. 1833. p. 12. Accessed via Google Books. 6. ^ a b MacLysaght, E (1996). More Irish Families: A New Revised and Enlarged Edition of More Irish Families, Incorporating Supplement to Irish Families, with an Essay on Irish Chieftainries. Dublin: Irish Academic Press. p. 109. ISBN 0-7165-2604-2. Accessed via Open Library. 7. ^ Byrne, FJ (2008) [2005]. "Ireland and Her Neighbours, c.1014-c.1072". In Ó Cróinín, D (ed.). Prehistoric and Early Ireland. New History of Ireland (series vol. 1). Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 862–898. ISBN 978-0-19-821737-4. 8. ^ O'Laughlin, M (1992). The Book of Irish Families Great & Small. Kansas City: Irish Genealogical Foundation. p. 125. ISBN 0-940134-08-X. Accessed via Open Library. 9. ^ Owen, RC (1993). The Modern Gaelic-English Dictionary. Glasgow: Gairm Publishers. p. 138\. ISBN 1-871901-29-4. 10. ^ Mark, C (2003). The Gaelic-English Dictionary. New York: Routledge. p. 719\. ISBN 0-203-27706-6. Surname list This page lists people with the surname Gillespie. If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.