2000
#4,056
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,054
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.99
Rare Last name
Gillen
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Giolla Fhiontáin," meaning "son of the servant of Saint Fintan."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,936 Americans carry the last name Gillen. That puts it at #4,412 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,357 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gillen 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 Gillen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.9K
1 in 38,357
Census rank
#4,412
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,793 bearers of the surname Gillen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4412th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gillen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gillen
The surname Gillen is of Irish origin and is believed to have first emerged in County Galway during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Gilla-nan," which translates to "servant of God." This name was commonly used as a prefix combined with various other elements, such as "Gilla-na-naomh" meaning "servant of the saints."
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Gillen can be traced back to medieval Irish records and manuscripts, including the Annals of the Four Masters, a compilation of chronicles and genealogies from the 12th to the 17th century. These annals mention various individuals bearing the name Gillen or its variants, such as Gilla-na-naomh, Gillananeev, and Gillenneev.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Gilla-na-naomh Ó Conchobhair, a prominent Irish poet and historian who lived in the 14th century. He was renowned for his works on Irish history and genealogy, and his writings have provided valuable insights into the cultural and literary traditions of medieval Ireland.
In the 16th century, the name Gillen appeared in the Fiants of Elizabeth I, which were records of royal letters patent and grants issued during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. These records mention individuals with the surname Gillen who were granted lands or privileges by the English Crown in Ireland.
Another notable historical figure bearing the name Gillen was Thomas Gillen (1857-1931), an Irish Catholic priest and author from County Galway. He wrote several books on Irish history, folklore, and literature, and was instrumental in preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of his native region.
Other notable individuals with the surname Gillen include John Gillen (1819-1898), an Irish politician and Member of Parliament for County Louth, and Joseph Gillen (1913-1992), an American artist and painter known for his landscape and seascape paintings.
The surname Gillen has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Gillencourse and Gillenlacken, which may have derived their names from individuals or families bearing the surname Gillen who lived in or owned those areas.
While the surname Gillen is predominantly of Irish origin, it has also been found in other parts of the world, likely due to Irish immigration and diaspora. However, its historical roots can be firmly traced back to the Gaelic-speaking regions of Ireland, where it has been recorded for several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gillen
Among Census respondents with the surname Gillen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Gillen 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 Gillen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.4% · 6,886
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 457
- Two or more races3.1% · 241
- Black or African American1.5% · 115
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 41
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gillen
Gillen 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
#4,188
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,462
+408 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 2.87
Rank movement Down 132 places
2020
#4,412
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,793
-669 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 2.61
Rank movement Down 224 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,056 | 8,054 | 2.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,188 | 8,462 | 2.87 | +408 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 132 places |
| 2020 | #4,412 | 7,793 | 2.61 | -669 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 224 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 Gillen 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 | #4,188 | #4,412 | -5.3% |
| Count | 8,462 | 7,793 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.87 | 2.61 | -9.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gillen bearers went from 8,462 to 7,793 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 224 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,188 to #4,412.
FAQ
Gillen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gillen?
Name Census estimates that about 8,936 living Americans carry the surname Gillen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,357 residents.
How common is Gillen?
Gillen ranks #4,412 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,793 people with the surname Gillen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,936), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Gillen.
Has Gillen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gillen went from 8,462 recorded bearers to 7,793. That is a decrease of 669 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,188 to #4,412.
What does the Census say about the background of Gillen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gillen, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Gillen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (6,886 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gillen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.4%), Hispanic (5.9%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Gillen (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 Gillen mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Giolla Fhiontáin," meaning "son of the servant of Saint Fintan." 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 Gillen (2.61 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 Gillen?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Gillen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.