2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gillece
An English occupational surname derived from the old French word "gille" meaning servant or retainer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Gillece. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gillece 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.
Bearers in the US
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Gillece in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gillece, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gillece
The surname Gillece is of English origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "gile" or "gyle," which meant "guile" or "deceit," and the suffix "-leac," meaning "meadow" or "field." Thus, the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a meadow or field where guile or deceit was associated.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gillece can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, dated 1166, where it appears as "Gillelec." This suggests that the name was already in use during the 12th century, likely among families residing in the Yorkshire region of England.
Interestingly, the Gillece surname also has connections to the historic town of Gillingham in Kent, England. It is possible that some bearers of the name may have originated from this area or had ancestors who resided there. The town's name is derived from the Old English words "gile" and "ham," meaning "guile" and "homestead" or "village," respectively.
Throughout the centuries, the Gillece surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Gillyke, Gylleck, Gillick, and Gillake. These variations often reflect regional dialects and the evolving nature of language over time.
One notable individual bearing the Gillece surname was Sir John Gillece (c. 1490-1545), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1536. He was a prominent figure in the city's mercantile community and played a role in the establishment of the Muscovy Company, which facilitated trade between England and Russia.
Another historical figure was Robert Gillece (1625-1703), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Rector of Greens Norton in Northamptonshire. He was known for his contributions to theological writings and his defense of the Church of England during the turbulent period of the English Civil War.
In the 18th century, William Gillece (1720-1795) was a prominent landowner and agriculturalist in Northumberland, England. He was recognized for his innovative farming methods and played a role in improving agricultural practices in the region.
Moving forward to the 19th century, Mary Gillece (1845-1912) was a notable English author and activist who wrote extensively on women's rights and social reform. Her works shed light on the challenges faced by women during the Victorian era and advocated for greater equality and opportunities.
Lastly, Edward Gillece (1875-1949) was a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Gillece Building, a landmark office complex that still stands today as a testament to his architectural prowess.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diversity of individuals who have carried the Gillece surname throughout the centuries, contributing to various fields and leaving their mark on English society and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gillece
Among Census respondents with the surname Gillece, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gillece 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 Gillece surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 108
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gillece
Gillece 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-6 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,835 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-4 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,004 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 14,835 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 4,004 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 Gillece 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 | #146,201 | #150,205 | -2.7% |
| Count | 113 | 109 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gillece bearers went from 113 to 109 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 4,004 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #150,205.
FAQ
Gillece surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gillece?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Gillece. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Gillece?
Gillece ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 109 people with the surname Gillece. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Gillece.
Has Gillece become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gillece went from 113 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Gillece?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gillece, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Gillece in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gillece appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Gillece (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 Gillece mean?
An English occupational surname derived from the old French word "gille" meaning servant or retainer. 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 Gillece (0.04 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 are called Gillece?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Gillece at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.