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

Gillespie, 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 Gillespie surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gillespie in America

Gillespie is the 811th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gillespie surname appeared 42,693 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 14 people would have the surname Gillespie.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gillespie 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 Gillespie

The surname Gillespie has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the late medieval period. It is a territorial name derived from the lands of Gillespie, located in East Lothian, near Edinburgh. The name is believed to have originated from the Gaelic "Gilleasbuig," which means "servant of the bishop."

The earliest recorded mention of the name Gillespie can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. One of the entries in the Rolls is "Johan de Gyllesbyr," likely a variant spelling of Gillespie.

In the 15th century, the Gillespie family held lands in East Lothian and Fife, and their name appeared in various charters and legal documents of the time. One notable member of the family was Sir John Gillespie, who was appointed as a judge in the Court of Session in 1532.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Gillespies were prominent in the Scottish Reformation movement. Rev. George Gillespie (1613-1648), a Scottish minister and theologian, was a leading figure in the Presbyterian Church and a influential writer on religious matters.

In the 18th century, the Gillespies were involved in the Scottish Enlightenment. William Gillespie (1776-1825) was a renowned Scottish philosopher and mathematician, known for his contributions to the field of natural philosophy.

Another notable figure was Sir Robert Rollo Gillespie (1766-1814), a Scottish military officer who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. He played a crucial role in the capture of the Dutch colony of Java in 1811.

James Gillespie (1737-1805) was a Scottish tobacco merchant and philanthropist who established the Gillespie's Hospital in Edinburgh, a school for the education of poor children.

Throughout history, the surname Gillespie has been associated with various place names, such as Gillespietown and Gillespiehill, reflecting the family's landholdings and influence in Scotland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gillespie

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

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

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

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