2000
#8,687
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,483
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.29
Rare Last name
Gillam
Derived from a place name meaning "homestead of a man named Gylla," from an Old English personal name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,958 Americans carry the last name Gillam. That puts it at #9,092 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,598 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gillam 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 Gillam with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 86,598
Census rank
#9,092
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,452 bearers of the surname Gillam in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9092nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gillam, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.3%. The next largest groups are Black (14.9%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gillam
The surname Gillam is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "gil" or "gile," meaning a ravine or deep valley, and "ham," meaning a homestead or settlement. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a ravine or valley.
The earliest recorded instances of the Gillam surname date back to the 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, there is a reference to a person named William Gilem. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also mention a John Gilem.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, various spellings of the name emerged, such as Gillham, Gilham, and Gileham. These variations likely reflect regional differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions at the time.
One notable historical figure with the surname Gillam was Benjamin Gillam, a 17th-century English explorer and sea captain. Born in 1663, he led several expeditions to Hudson Bay and the Canadian Arctic on behalf of the Hudson's Bay Company. Gillam is credited with being one of the first European explorers to map parts of the Hudson Bay region.
Another individual of note was Zephaniah Gillam Jr., an 18th-century American silversmith and engraver. Born in 1733 in Philadelphia, he was celebrated for his intricate and ornate silverwork, which was highly sought after by the wealthy elite of colonial America.
In the realm of literature, Ann Gillam, an English writer born in 1801, gained recognition for her novels and works of fiction. Her most famous work, "The Countess of Blessington," was a popular success and provided insights into the lives of the aristocracy during the Regency era.
Moving into the 19th century, Samuel Gillam, born in 1839 in England, was a prominent architect known for his work on several notable buildings, including the Royal Albert Hall in London. His designs were characterized by their intricate ornamentation and blending of various architectural styles.
Finally, in the 20th century, Sir Hugh Gillam, born in 1920, was a distinguished British diplomat and civil servant. He served as the British Ambassador to several countries, including France and the United States, and played a crucial role in shaping Britain's foreign policy during the latter half of the 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gillam
Among Census respondents with the surname Gillam, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.3%. The next largest groups are Black (14.9%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Gillam 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 Gillam surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.3% · 2,670
- Black or African American14.9% · 513
- Two or more races4.1% · 143
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 103
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gillam
Gillam 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
#9,003
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,633
+150 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 1.23
Rank movement Down 316 places
2020
#9,092
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,452
-181 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Down 89 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,687 | 3,483 | 1.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,003 | 3,633 | 1.23 | +150 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 316 places |
| 2020 | #9,092 | 3,452 | 1.15 | -181 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 89 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 Gillam 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 | #9,003 | #9,092 | -1.0% |
| Count | 3,633 | 3,452 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.23 | 1.15 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gillam bearers went from 3,633 to 3,452 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 89 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,003 to #9,092.
FAQ
Gillam surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gillam?
Name Census estimates that about 3,958 living Americans carry the surname Gillam. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,598 residents.
How common is Gillam?
Gillam ranks #9,092 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.15 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 3,452 people with the surname Gillam. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,958), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.15 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 Gillam.
Has Gillam become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gillam went from 3,633 recorded bearers to 3,452. That is a decrease of 181 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,003 to #9,092.
What does the Census say about the background of Gillam?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gillam, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.3%. The next largest groups are Black (14.9%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Gillam in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.3% (2,670 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gillam appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.3%), Black (14.9%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Gillam (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 Gillam mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "homestead of a man named Gylla," from an Old English personal name. 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 Gillam (1.15 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 Gillam?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.