Gillard
A French given name meaning "young soldier" or "youthful warrior".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Gillard. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gillard today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gillard births was 1922 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gillard. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gillard. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1922
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1922 SSA rank
#4,558
Tracked since 1922
Popularity
Gillard: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Gillard by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Gillard during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Gillard
The name Gillard is of French origin, derived from the Germanic given name Gilo, which itself comes from the Old Germanic word "gil," meaning "hostage" or "pledge." This suggests that the name may have been given to a child who was born as a pledge or hostage in ancient times.
The earliest recorded use of the name Gillard dates back to the 12th century in France, where it was used as a variant spelling of the name Gilo. It was particularly common in the regions of Normandy and Brittany, where it was often spelled as "Gillart" or "Gaillard."
In the 13th century, the name Gillard appeared in several historical records, including the Cartulary of Saint-Père de Chartres, a collection of medieval charters from the Saint-Père de Chartres monastery. This suggests that the name may have been used by members of the clergy or the nobility during this time.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Gillard was Gillard de Pont-Audemer, a 13th-century Norman nobleman who served as a knight under King John of England during the First Barons' War (1215-1217).
In the 14th century, the name Gillard was borne by Gillard de Sémur, a French knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War against the English. He was captured at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356 and held for ransom.
Another notable figure with the name Gillard was Jean Gillard, a 15th-century French poet and author who wrote several works on the subject of courtly love.
During the Renaissance period, the name Gillard was associated with the arts, with several painters and sculptors bearing the name. One such individual was Jacques Gillard, a 16th-century French painter who was known for his religious works and portraits.
In the 17th century, the name Gillard was borne by Pierre Gillard, a French historian and author who wrote a influential work on the history of the Duchy of Burgundy.
People
Gillard + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gillard as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Gillard: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gillard?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gillard going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Gillard a common name?
We classify Gillard as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gillard most popular?
The single biggest year for Gillard was 1922, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gillard is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Gillard in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gillard a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gillard in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Gillard still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gillard in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Gillard can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Gillard?
Find out how many people share the name Gillard on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.