2000
#13,802
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,011
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Gilleland
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place name meaning "glen of the loch" or "valley of the loch."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,251 Americans carry the last name Gilleland. That puts it at #14,581 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 152,268 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gilleland 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
2.3K
1 in 152,268
Census rank
#14,581
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,963 bearers of the surname Gilleland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14581st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilleland, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gilleland
The surname Gilleland is believed to have originated in Scotland, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "gil," meaning a ravine or glen, and "lann," meaning an enclosure or church. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a ravine or glen with a church or monastic settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homages rendered to King Edward I of England after his conquest of Scotland. The name is listed as "Gillelande," which is likely an earlier spelling variation.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Gilleland family is believed to have been well-established in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the regions of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire. Records from this period often mention individuals with variations of the name, such as "Gillelan," "Gillelane," and "Gillaland."
In the 16th century, a notable figure named John Gilleland (c. 1520-1590) was a prominent religious leader and reformer in Scotland. He played a significant role in the establishment of the Presbyterian Church and was a close associate of John Knox.
Another prominent individual was Sir Robert Gilleland (1644-1718), a Scottish nobleman and politician who served as a member of the Parliament of Scotland and later the Parliament of Great Britain after the Acts of Union in 1707.
In the 18th century, the Gilleland name appeared in various historical records, including the Parish Registers of Ayrshire, which documented births, marriages, and deaths within the region. One such entry from 1756 mentions a William Gilleland, whose occupation is listed as a farmer.
During the 19th century, as the Scottish diaspora spread across the world, the Gilleland surname began to appear in various parts of the British Empire and beyond. One notable individual from this era was James Gilleland (1801-1878), a Scottish-born Australian explorer and surveyor who played a crucial role in mapping the interior of the continent.
Another significant figure was Mary Gilleland (1867-1945), a Scottish suffragette and activist who campaigned tirelessly for women's rights and social reform. She was a prominent figure in the Women's Social and Political Union and was arrested several times for her involvement in protests and civil disobedience.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gilleland
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilleland, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Gilleland 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 Gilleland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 1,804
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 61
- Two or more races2.5% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 20
- Black or African American0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gilleland
Gilleland 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
#14,208
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,113
+102 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 406 places
2020
#14,581
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,963
-150 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 373 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,802 | 2,011 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,208 | 2,113 | 0.72 | +102 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 406 places |
| 2020 | #14,581 | 1,963 | 0.66 | -150 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 373 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 Gilleland 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 | #14,208 | #14,581 | -2.6% |
| Count | 2,113 | 1,963 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.66 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gilleland bearers went from 2,113 to 1,963 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 373 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,208 to #14,581.
FAQ
Gilleland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gilleland?
Name Census estimates that about 2,251 living Americans carry the surname Gilleland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 152,268 residents.
How common is Gilleland?
Gilleland ranks #14,581 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 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 1,963 people with the surname Gilleland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,251), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 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 Gilleland.
Has Gilleland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gilleland went from 2,113 recorded bearers to 1,963. That is a decrease of 150 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,208 to #14,581.
What does the Census say about the background of Gilleland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilleland, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Gilleland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (1,804 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gilleland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Gilleland (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 Gilleland mean?
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place name meaning "glen of the loch" or "valley of the loch." 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 Gilleland (0.66 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 Americans have the surname Gilleland?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.