Ogilvie

Variations – Ogliby, O’Gilby, Gale, Galwey, Gilbey, Gilboy
Racial Origin – Irish
Source – A given name

In Scotland the name of Clan Ogilvie is traced back to an origin in a place name.

But in Ireland there was another clan of this name.  That is , the name was the same if you make the comparison with certain of the Anglicized variations. In reality, however, it is not the same name at all when you look at the Gaelic form.

This clan was known as the “O’Giall-Buidhe,” and the earliest records show that it became an independent clan unit about the year 1100 A.D., it was one of those little accidents of history that all persons whose names trace back to this clan are not bearing the name of O’Shaughnessy instead, for the chieftain who found the Clan “O’Giall-Buidhe” was the son of the first chieftain of the O’Shaughnessys.

His given name, from which the clan name is derived, had a meaning of “yellow hostage” or “fair-haired follower.” The meaning, however, was far from that of “prisoner” or “slave.” There was embodied in it also the thoughts of “locality,” “honourable service,” “emulation of” and the like.