Find out how popular the last name Gemmill is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Gemmill.

Gemmill, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Gemmill surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gemmill in America

Gemmill is the 20201st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gemmill surname appeared 1,319 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gemmill.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gemmill to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Gemmill

The surname Gemmill originated from Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is a territorial name derived from the lands of Gemmills, located near the town of Beith, in Ayrshire. The name is believed to have come from the Gaelic words "gamhuinn" meaning "a stout little cow" and "ail" meaning "rock or rocky place," suggesting that the name referred to a rocky area where stout little cows grazed.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Gemmill can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list individuals who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Gemill" in these rolls. Another early record is the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1366, which mention a "William de Gemmyll" as a landowner in Ayrshire.

In the 16th century, the spelling of the name evolved into its modern form, "Gemmill." Records from this period include a mention of a John Gemmill, who was a burgess of Glasgow in 1587. Another notable individual was Robert Gemmill, who was a minister in Stirling in the 1600s.

During the 17th century, the Gemmills were a prominent family in Ayrshire, with several members holding positions of importance. One such individual was John Gemmill (c. 1640-1715), who was a Scottish writer and minister. He authored several works on religious topics and was known for his eloquent sermons.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Gemmill family emigrated to Ireland, where they settled in County Antrim. One notable member of this branch was James Gemmill (1768-1845), a Scottish-Irish Presbyterian minister who was involved in the establishment of several churches in Ulster.

The 19th century saw the spread of the Gemmill name to various parts of the world due to emigration. One notable figure from this period was Robert Gemmill (1813-1887), a Scottish-Australian explorer and surveyor who played a significant role in the exploration and mapping of Western Australia.

Other notable individuals with the surname Gemmill throughout history include:

1. Frederick Gemmill (1867-1930), a British writer and journalist who wrote extensively about the British Empire.
2. Jane Gemmill (1910-1999), a Scottish artist known for her landscape paintings and portraits.
3. William Gemmill (1837-1919), a Scottish-American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of St. Louis, Missouri.
4. Peter Gemmill (1923-2003), a Scottish football player who played for Rangers F.C. and the Scottish national team.
5. Euan Gemmill (born 1977), a Scottish cricket player who represented Scotland in international competitions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gemmill

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Gemmill.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Gemmill was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Gemmill has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Gemmill was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gemmill, please contact us.

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