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

Gillens, 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 Gillens surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gillens in America

Gillens is the 102197th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gillens surname appeared 176 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gillens.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gillens 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 Gillens

The surname Gillens has its origins in the medieval English counties of Northumberland and Durham. It is derived from the Old English personal name Gilla, a shortened form of Gillamichel, meaning 'servant of St. Michael'. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was as Gillan in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland in 1195.

The Gillens name appeared in various northern English records over the centuries, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where one Robert Gyllan was listed in Yorkshire. A William Gillan was recorded in the Calender of Inquisitions for Northumberland in 1367. The name was also found in Scotland, with a John Gillane mentioned in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland in 1540.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Gillens surname was Sir John Gillens (c.1520-1585), an English soldier and Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another notable figure was Thomas Gillens (1575-1637), a Puritan clergyman from Durham who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636.

In the 17th century, the name spread to Ireland, where it became associated with County Antrim. A prominent Irish bearer was James Gillens (1666-1735), a merchant and landowner from Ballymena. Over time, the name also developed variant spellings such as Gillan, Gillen, and Gillian.

Other historical individuals with the Gillens surname include:

• William Gillens (1680-1742), an English mathematician and astronomer.
• John Gillens (1712-1796), a Scottish philosopher and educator.
• Robert Gillens (1770-1835), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.
• Mary Gillens (1819-1893), an Irish-American author and poet.

While the surname Gillens has ancient roots in northern England and Scotland, its bearers can be found throughout the British Isles and beyond, reflecting the migration patterns of these island nations over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gillens

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

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

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

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