Gleeson Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Gleeson last name means, where the surname began and where it was first recorded.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Gleeson coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Gleeson last name
Meaning of the Gleeson last name: descendant of Glasán ("green, grey"). Gleeson is an anglicized form of Ó Glasáin, "descendant of Glasán", from glas, "green, grey-blue". Glasán was a common early Irish personal name, and similar names built on glas gave the surnames Glassan and Glasheen. The O'Gleesons belonged to the old territory of Ormond in north Tipperary, with their main home in the country around Nenagh, and they lost much of their land in the confiscations of the 17th century. The name is still most common in Tipperary, Limerick and Clare. Famine-era emigration took many Gleesons to England, North America, Australia and New Zealand. Across the Atlantic the spelling Gleason prevails, where many Tipperary families settled in the 19th century.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Gleeson name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Gleeson name in Ireland. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, England and Australia; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full Gleeson family history
Your full Gleeson pack adds the researched history, early records and migration. Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Gleeson coat of arms for you.
Gleeson name FAQ
What does the Gleeson name mean?
Descendant of Glasán ("green, grey"). Common variants include Gleason, Glissane, O'Glasain.
Where does the Gleeson surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States, England and Australia.
Is there a Gleeson coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Gleeson crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Gleeson coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).