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

Gilcrist, 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 Gilcrist surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gilcrist in America

Gilcrist is the 91221st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gilcrist surname appeared 202 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 Gilcrist.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gilcrist 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 Gilcrist

The surname GILCRIST has its origins in Scotland, where it first emerged in the early Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old Norse personal name "Gilli Kristr," which translates to "servant of Christ." This name was brought to Scotland by Norse settlers and Vikings who raided the northern regions of the country.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GILCRIST can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document containing the names of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore fealty to Edward I of England. The name appears as "Gillecrist de Ros," indicating its bearer was from the Rosshire region.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the GILCRIST name was particularly prevalent in the Highlands of Scotland, where it was associated with several prominent families. One notable figure was Sir John Gilcrist, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century.

As the centuries passed, the GILCRIST name underwent various spelling variations, including Gilchrist, Gilkrist, and Gilchryst. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local pronunciations.

In the 16th century, a branch of the GILCRIST family settled in the Scottish Lowlands, where they became influential landowners and merchants. One celebrated member of this branch was Alexander Gilcrist (1570-1642), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of several churches and schools in Edinburgh.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, several GILCRIST families emigrated from Scotland to Ireland, where the name took on various Irish spelling variations, such as Gilchreest and Gilchrist. One notable bearer of the name from this period was Robert Gilchrist (1700-1785), an Irish soldier who served in the British Army during the Seven Years' War.

As the Scottish diaspora spread across the globe, the GILCRIST name traveled with it. In the 19th century, several GILCRIST families settled in North America, where they contributed to the development of various communities. One prominent figure was William Gilcrist (1825-1902), a Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

Throughout its long history, the GILCRIST surname has been borne by many notable individuals, including writers, artists, and academics. Some examples include John Borthwick Gilchrist (1759-1841), a Scottish author and biographer, and Anne Gilchrist (1828-1885), an English writer and biographer of William Blake.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gilcrist

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

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

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

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