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

Gilet, 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 Gilet surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gilet in America

Gilet is the 137327th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gilet surname appeared 122 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 Gilet.

The history of the last name Gilet

The surname GILET originated in France. It first appeared in the late 12th century as a derivation of the Old French word "gilet", meaning a small jacket or vest. The name likely referred to an occupation or trade of making or selling these garments.

The earliest known recorded use of the surname GILET dates back to 1195 in the Chartres region of northern France. It is found in a church register listing a Guillaume GILET as a resident of the village of Jouy-en-Josas.

In the 13th century, variations of the spelling included Gillet, Gilette, and Gillette. These were commonly used in areas like Normandy, Brittany, and the Île-de-France region around Paris.

One of the earliest notable individuals with this surname was Jean GILET, a merchant and landowner from Rouen who lived from around 1320 to 1395. Records show he traded goods throughout northwestern France.

The GILET name also appeared in some English records from the 14th century onwards, likely due to Norman influence after the conquest of 1066. An example is Roger GILET, born circa 1375 in Somerset, who worked as a tailor.

In the 1500s, the surname was present in parts of Switzerland as well, such as the Geneva area. Antoine GILET (1508-1573) was a Protestant theologian and pastor from Lausanne.

Over time, the name spread to other French-speaking regions like Quebec in Canada. Jacques GILET (1625-1696) was one of the earliest settlers, arriving from Normandy in 1642 and establishing a farm near Quebec City.

Other prominent individuals with this last name included the 19th century French writer and dramatist Emile GILET (1814-1882) and the Swiss painter Lucie GILET (1865-1936), known for her landscape works.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gilet

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

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 Gilet 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.

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

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

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