2000
#2,703
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,210
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.53
Uncommon Last name
Gilchrist
A Scottish occupational surname denoting a servant or follower of Christ, derived from Gaelic "giolla Chríost."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,849 Americans carry the last name Gilchrist. That puts it at #2,909 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,749 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gilchrist surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Gilchrist with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,749
Census rank
#2,909
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,077 bearers of the surname Gilchrist in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2909th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilchrist, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.8%. The next largest groups are Black (32.4%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gilchrist
The surname Gilchrist is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic words "gille" meaning "servant" and "Crìosd" meaning "Christ." It emerged in the 12th century as a personal name given to youths who served in monastic establishments or churches dedicated to Christ.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the late 12th century, with references to individuals like Gilcrist Makkarky in the Cartulary of Moray in 1171 and Gilcrist de Angreruyde in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document recording Scottish landowners' pledge of allegiance to King Edward I of England.
The Gilchrist name appears in various historical records, including the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland and the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland, indicating its widespread use throughout the country.
One notable bearer of the name was Gilchrist, Earl of Angus, who lived in the late 12th century and played a significant role in the struggle for the Scottish throne during the minority of King Alexander III.
Another prominent figure was Sir John Gilchrist (1370-1452), a Scottish nobleman and warrior who fought alongside King Robert III and King James I in the battles against the English during the Wars of Scottish Independence.
In the 16th century, Archibald Gilchrist (1550-1623) was a Scottish minister and schoolmaster who served as the rector of the grammar school in Dunfermline and played a vital role in the education of King James VI (later King James I of England).
The name Gilchrist has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Gilchristoun (now known as Gilchriston) in East Lothian and Gilchristland in Lanarkshire, further reflecting its historical presence in the country.
Over time, the name has evolved into various spellings, including Gilchrist, Gilcrist, Gilkrist, and Gilchriston, reflecting regional variations and phonetic adaptations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gilchrist
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilchrist, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.8%. The next largest groups are Black (32.4%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gilchrist bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Gilchrist surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.8% · 7,220
- Black or African American32.4% · 3,912
- Two or more races3.7% · 452
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 382
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 56
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 55
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gilchrist
Gilchrist appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,811
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,825
+615 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 4.35
Rank movement Down 108 places
2020
#2,909
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,077
-748 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 4.04
Rank movement Down 98 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,703 | 12,210 | 4.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,811 | 12,825 | 4.35 | +615 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 108 places |
| 2020 | #2,909 | 12,077 | 4.04 | -748 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 98 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Gilchrist surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,811 | #2,909 | -3.5% |
| Count | 12,825 | 12,077 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 4.35 | 4.04 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gilchrist bearers went from 12,825 to 12,077 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 98 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,811 to #2,909.
FAQ
Gilchrist surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gilchrist?
Name Census estimates that about 13,849 living Americans carry the surname Gilchrist. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,749 residents.
How common is Gilchrist?
Gilchrist ranks #2,909 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,077 people with the surname Gilchrist. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,849), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Gilchrist.
Has Gilchrist become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gilchrist went from 12,825 recorded bearers to 12,077. That is a decrease of 748 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,811 to #2,909.
What does the Census say about the background of Gilchrist?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilchrist, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.8%. The next largest groups are Black (32.4%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gilchrist in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.8% (7,220 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gilchrist appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.8%), Black (32.4%), Two or More Races (3.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Gilchrist (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Gilchrist mean?
A Scottish occupational surname denoting a servant or follower of Christ, derived from Gaelic "giolla Chríost." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Gilchrist (4.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Gilchrist?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Gilchrist on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.