GAUL Family History

This most interesting and ancient surname has two possible derivations. Firstly, it may derive from a nickname of Celtic origins, meaning "foreigner, stranger", from the Old Gaelic word "gall", stranger. In the Highlands of Scotland, the term was applied to people from the English-speaking Lowlands, and to Scandinavians, while in Ireland it was given to settlers who arrived from Wales and England in the aftermath of the Anglo-orman invasion. The surname is also found early in Lincolnshire, where it is of Breton origin, being introduced there by Norman settlers.