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

Gignilliat, 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 Gignilliat surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gignilliat in America

Gignilliat is the 103181st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gignilliat surname appeared 174 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 Gignilliat.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gignilliat 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 Gignilliat

The surname GIGNILLIAT is of French origin, derived from the Old French words "gigne" meaning "trick" or "pretense" and "liat" meaning "bound" or "tied." It is believed to have originated in the region of Normandy during the Middle Ages.

The name GIGNILLIAT first appeared in historical records in the early 13th century, when it was spelled in various forms such as "Gigniliat," "Gignillat," and "Gignilliac." One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Wandrille, a medieval manuscript from Normandy dated around 1230, which mentions a person named "Raoul Gignilliat."

In the 14th century, the name GIGNILLIAT began to spread beyond Normandy as a result of the Hundred Years' War between England and France. During this conflict, many Norman families migrated to other parts of France and England, carrying their surnames with them.

One notable figure bearing the GIGNILLIAT name was Jacques Gignilliat (1540-1612), a French Protestant theologian and author who played a significant role in the French Reformed Church during the religious conflicts of the 16th century.

In the 17th century, the GIGNILLIAT surname made its way to the New World, as French Huguenot refugees fleeing religious persecution settled in various colonies, including South Carolina. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was Jean Gignilliat (1650-1718), who was among the first Huguenot settlers in Charleston, South Carolina.

Another prominent individual with the GIGNILLIAT name was Pierre Gignilliat (1705-1780), a French Huguenot who served as a captain in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He fought in several key battles, including the Siege of Savannah in 1779.

During the 19th century, the GIGNILLIAT family continued to play a role in American history. Eliza Gignilliat (1815-1892) was a notable author and poet from South Carolina, known for her collection of poems titled "Poems and Idylls" published in 1859.

In more recent times, one of the most famous individuals bearing the GIGNILLIAT name was Joseph Gignilliat (1899-1972), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina from 1937 to 1939.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gignilliat

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

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 Gignilliat 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 Gignilliat 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 Gignilliat was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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