The English, Irish and Scottish surname of Gilmore comes from the Gaelic name of MacGille. There was also the Old English form of ‘getlingas’ which meant the people of Getta and the marsh lands. In Ireland it also means the son of the spirited lad. Variations in spelling Gilmore include Gilmer, Golour, Gillmore and Kolmore. In England the counties with the higher percentage of Gilmore families Lancashire, Yorkshire, Durham, Hampshire and the city of London. In Scotland the Gilmore families were mostly in Inverness-shire, Aberdeenshire, Midlothian, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Renfrewshire. Within the United States those families with the Gilmore name were scattered across the country. Many originated in Massachusetts, Texas, Ohio, Alabama, Illinois, California, Washington, Michigan, Nebraska, Missouri, Indiana and Colorado. Famous: John Gilmore (professional football player), Alexie Gilmore (actress), Jennifer Gilmore (novelist), Jimmy Dale Gilmore (singer), Lyman Gilmore (pioneer in aviation), Patrick Gilmore (music composer and bandleader), Thea Gilmore (English songwriter), Peter H. Gilmore (writer) and Margaret Gilmore (journalist from England).