2000
#11,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,562
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.95
Rare Last name
Gile
French occupational surname for a servant or a nickname for a cheerful person, derived from Old French "gile" meaning "joy."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,842 Americans carry the last name Gile. That puts it at #12,024 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 120,603 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gile 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 Gile with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 120,603
Census rank
#12,024
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,478 bearers of the surname Gile in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12024th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gile, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gile
The surname GILE originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English name Gile or Gyles, which stems from the Germanic elements "gil" meaning "hostage" or "pledge." This name was sometimes used as a nickname for someone of a cheerful or amiable disposition.
The earliest known record of the GILE surname dates back to the 12th century in the county of Gloucestershire. An entry in the Pipe Rolls of 1198 mentions a Thomas Gile who was a landowner in the village of Winchcombe.
By the 13th century, the name had spread to other parts of England, including Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 record a John Gyle from the village of Theddlethorpe in Lincolnshire.
In the 14th century, the GILE surname appeared in various historical documents, such as the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 which listed a William Gile from the county of Somerset. Additionally, the Poll Tax Returns of 1379 included entries for a Roger Gyle from Oxfordshire and a John Gile from Gloucestershire.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the GILE surname was Sir John Gile (1390-1452), a prominent English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War and served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire.
Another significant figure was Thomas Gile (1542-1623), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "A Godly Treatise Concerning the Lawfull Proceeding in Causes of Religion."
In the 17th century, the GILE surname made its way to the American colonies. One of the earliest settlers was Samuel Gile (1624-1689), who arrived in Massachusetts from England in 1638 and later became a prominent landowner and deacon in the town of Haverhill.
During the 18th century, a notable figure was Ezekiel Gile (1717-1777), a soldier from Massachusetts who served in the French and Indian War and later fought in the American Revolutionary War.
Another individual of note was John Gile (1789-1865), a farmer and politician from New Hampshire who served as a member of the state legislature and was elected as a delegate to the state's constitutional convention in 1850.
Throughout history, the GILE surname has been subject to various spelling variations, including Gyle, Guile, Gyll, and Gill, reflecting the different pronunciations and regional dialects across England and later in the American colonies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gile
Among Census respondents with the surname Gile, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gile 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 Gile surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.9% · 2,153
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 130
- Two or more races3.4% · 85
- Black or African American2.3% · 57
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 39
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gile
Gile 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
#11,781
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,660
+98 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 464 places
2020
#12,024
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,478
-182 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 243 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,317 | 2,562 | 0.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,781 | 2,660 | 0.90 | +98 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 464 places |
| 2020 | #12,024 | 2,478 | 0.83 | -182 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 243 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 Gile 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 | #11,781 | #12,024 | -2.1% |
| Count | 2,660 | 2,478 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 0.83 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gile bearers went from 2,660 to 2,478 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 243 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,781 to #12,024.
FAQ
Gile surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gile?
Name Census estimates that about 2,842 living Americans carry the surname Gile. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 120,603 residents.
How common is Gile?
Gile ranks #12,024 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,478 people with the surname Gile. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,842), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.83 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Gile.
Has Gile become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gile went from 2,660 recorded bearers to 2,478. That is a decrease of 182 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,781 to #12,024.
What does the Census say about the background of Gile?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gile, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Gile in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.9% (2,153 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gile appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.9%), Hispanic (5.2%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Gile (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 Gile mean?
French occupational surname for a servant or a nickname for a cheerful person, derived from Old French "gile" meaning "joy." 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 Gile (0.83 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 have the last name Gile?
You can see how many people have the last name Gile on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.