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

Gilham, 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 Gilham surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gilham in America

Gilham is the 22216th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gilham surname appeared 1,161 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 Gilham.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gilham 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 Gilham

The surname Gilham is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from a place name, which was a common practice in the formation of surnames during that time period.

One theory suggests that Gilham is a locational name originating from the village of Gillingham, located in various counties across England, including Dorset, Kent, and Norfolk. The name Gillingham itself is derived from the Old English words "gylling," meaning a small stream or rivulet, and "ham," meaning a homestead or village.

Another possibility is that Gilham stems from the Old English personal name "Gylling," coupled with the word "ham," forming a name that essentially translates to "the homestead of Gylling."

Historically, the earliest recorded instances of the Gilham surname can be traced back to the 13th century. In the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1249, a John de Gillingeham is mentioned. Additionally, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 document a Henry de Gillingham residing in Oxfordshire.

One notable figure bearing the Gilham surname was Sir Benjamin Gilham (1661-1724), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for Coventry from 1713 until his death. Another was John Gilham (1711-1783), a prominent English watchmaker from London who was known for his innovative work in the field of horology.

In the literary realm, James Gilham (1789-1838) was an English writer and editor, best known for his editorship of the London Literary Gazette from 1817 to 1838.

Another individual of note was Sir James Gilham (1805-1875), a British civil servant and colonial administrator who served as the Lieutenant Governor of St. Vincent from 1854 to 1859.

Lastly, John Gilham (1827-1904) was a notable English architect and surveyor, known for his work on several prestigious buildings in London, including the Royal Albert Hall and the Natural History Museum.

Throughout its history, the Gilham surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Gillingham, Gillam, and Gilham, reflecting the evolving nature of language and regional dialects over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gilham

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

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

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

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