2000
#6,209
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,076
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.88
Rare Last name
Gillett
A Norman French habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "little pledge" or "little hostage."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,862 Americans carry the last name Gillett. That puts it at #6,395 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,471 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gillett 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 Gillett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.9K
1 in 58,471
Census rank
#6,395
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,112 bearers of the surname Gillett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6395th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gillett, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Hispanic (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gillett
The surname Gillett is of English origin, originating from the medieval given name Giles, derived from the Old French name Gilles, which in turn came from the Greek name Aegidius. The name Aegidius itself is of uncertain etymology but may be connected to the Greek word for a young goat.
The name Giles was introduced to England by Norman settlers after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It became a popular name, particularly among the lower classes, and over time evolved into various surnames, including Giles, Gyll, Gill, and Gillett.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Gillett can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1176, which mention a Gillebertus Gillet. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also include references to individuals with the surname Gillett in various counties, such as Robert Gillet in Oxfordshire and William Gillet in Buckinghamshire.
The surname Gillett is believed to have originated in the regions of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire, where it was particularly prevalent during the medieval period. It may have been derived from place names like Gillettes in Gloucestershire or Gilletts in Oxfordshire, though the exact connection is uncertain.
Notable individuals with the surname Gillett throughout history include:
1. John Gillett (c. 1565-1623), an English clergyman and the first President of Harvard College.
2. Philip Gillette (1611-1675), one of the founders of Milford, Connecticut, and a prominent figure in the early history of the colony.
3. William Gillett (1794-1871), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Panopticon of Science and Art.
4. Jonathan Gillett (1804-1863), an American politician who served as the 20th Governor of New Hampshire from 1863 to 1865.
5. Ezra Hall Gillett (1823-1875), an American businessman and politician who served as the 21st Governor of Wisconsin from 1873 to 1875.
The surname Gillett has been found in various historical records, including parish registers, tax rolls, and census records, spanning several centuries. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has since spread across the English-speaking world, with notable individuals bearing this surname contributing to various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gillett
Among Census respondents with the surname Gillett, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Hispanic (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Gillett 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 Gillett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.0% · 4,089
- Black or African American9.4% · 480
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 265
- Two or more races3.4% · 174
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 63
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 41
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gillett
Gillett 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
#6,421
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,293
+217 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 1.79
Rank movement Down 212 places
2020
#6,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,112
-181 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 1.71
Rank movement Up 26 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,209 | 5,076 | 1.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,421 | 5,293 | 1.79 | +217 bearers (+4.3%) | Down 212 places |
| 2020 | #6,395 | 5,112 | 1.71 | -181 bearers (-3.4%) | Up 26 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 Gillett 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 | #6,421 | #6,395 | 0.4% |
| Count | 5,293 | 5,112 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.79 | 1.71 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gillett bearers went from 5,293 to 5,112 (-3.4% change). The surname moved up 26 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,421 to #6,395.
FAQ
Gillett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gillett?
Name Census estimates that about 5,862 living Americans carry the surname Gillett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,471 residents.
How common is Gillett?
Gillett ranks #6,395 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.71 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,112 people with the surname Gillett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,862), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.71 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Gillett.
Has Gillett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gillett went from 5,293 recorded bearers to 5,112. That is a decrease of 181 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,421 to #6,395.
What does the Census say about the background of Gillett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gillett, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Hispanic (5.2%). 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 Gillett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.0% (4,089 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gillett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.0%), Black (9.4%), Hispanic (5.2%). 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 Gillett (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 Gillett mean?
A Norman French habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "little pledge" or "little hostage." 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 Gillett (1.71 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 Gillett?
Find out how many people are called Gillett on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.