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

Gill, 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 Gill surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gill in America

Gill is the 435th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gill surname appeared 74,948 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 25 people would have the surname Gill.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gill 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 Gill

The surname Gill has its origins in England, tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "gille," meaning a young man or a servant. This word itself stemmed from the Germanic name "Gilo" or "Gil," which means "pledged youth" or "young warrior."

Gill was a common surname in medieval England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Lancashire. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166, referencing a person named Roger Gill.

In the 13th century, the surname Gill was found in various historical documents, including the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a William Gill. The surname also appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1230, referencing a Richard Gille.

During the 14th century, the name Gill was documented in several places, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a John Gill was mentioned in 1317. Additionally, the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379 recorded a Robert Gill.

Notable figures with the surname Gill throughout history include:

1. Alexander Gill (1565-1635), an English scholar and theologian who served as the headmaster of St. Paul's School in London.
2. Thomas Gill (c. 1600-1675), an English author and satirist known for his work "The Parson's Monitor."
3. John Gill (1697-1771), an English Baptist minister and biblical scholar known for his extensive commentary on the Bible.
4. William Gill (1843-1923), an English artist and illustrator renowned for his work in children's literature.
5. Eric Gill (1882-1940), a renowned English sculptor, typeface designer, and printmaker, known for his work in the Arts and Crafts movement.

The surname Gill has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Gillingham in Kent and Gilsland in Cumbria. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname, including Gille, Gyll, and Gylle.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gill

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

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

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

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