2000
#21,455
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,136
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.42
Rare Last name
Gilham
A locational surname derived from placenames containing 'gill' (narrow valley or ravine) or 'ham' (village or homestead).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,268 Americans carry the last name Gilham. That puts it at #23,658 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 270,311 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gilham 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 Gilham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.3K
1 in 270,311
Census rank
#23,658
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,106 bearers of the surname Gilham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 23658th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilham, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.7%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Two or More Races (6.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gilham
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilham, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.7%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Two or More Races (6.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Gilham 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 Gilham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.7% · 848
- Black or African American8.9% · 98
- Two or more races6.1% · 68
- American Indian and Alaska Native5.2% · 58
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gilham
Gilham 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
#22,216
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,161
+25 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Down 761 places
2020
#23,658
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,106
-55 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.37
Rank movement Down 1,442 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,455 | 1,136 | 0.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,216 | 1,161 | 0.39 | +25 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 761 places |
| 2020 | #23,658 | 1,106 | 0.37 | -55 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 1,442 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 Gilham 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 | #22,216 | #23,658 | -6.5% |
| Count | 1,161 | 1,106 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.39 | 0.37 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gilham bearers went from 1,161 to 1,106 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 1,442 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,216 to #23,658.
FAQ
Gilham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gilham?
Name Census estimates that about 1,268 living Americans carry the surname Gilham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 270,311 residents.
How common is Gilham?
Gilham ranks #23,658 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.37 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,106 people with the surname Gilham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,268), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.37 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Gilham.
Has Gilham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gilham went from 1,161 recorded bearers to 1,106. That is a decrease of 55 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #22,216 to #23,658.
What does the Census say about the background of Gilham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilham, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.7%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Two or More Races (6.1%). 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 Gilham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.7% (848 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gilham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.7%), Black (8.9%), Two or More Races (6.1%). 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 Gilham (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 Gilham mean?
A locational surname derived from placenames containing 'gill' (narrow valley or ravine) or 'ham' (village or homestead). 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 Gilham (0.37 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 surname Gilham?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.