2000
#3,307
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,944
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.69
Uncommon Last name
Gilley
Derived from a French place name meaning "attendant" or "youth," likely referring to a young servant or page.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,670 Americans carry the last name Gilley. That puts it at #3,714 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,123 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gilley 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 Gilley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 32,123
Census rank
#3,714
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.3K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,305 bearers of the surname Gilley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3714th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilley, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gilley
The surname Gilley is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "gil," meaning a ravine or deep valley. This suggests that the name was likely borne by someone who lived near or worked in a steep-sided valley or ravine.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Gilley can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a Walter Gilley from Oxfordshire. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled in England during the reign of King Edward I.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings such as Gillie, Gilly, and Gylle. These variations reflect the fluid nature of spelling during that time period before standardization became more widespread.
A notable bearer of the Gilley surname was Sir John Gilley, a prominent English merchant and alderman who lived in the 15th century. He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers and served as the Sheriff of London in 1433.
The surname Gilley is also linked to several place names in England, such as Gilley Green in Hertfordshire and Gilley Field in Buckinghamshire. These place names likely originated from the Old English word "gil," further reinforcing the connection between the surname and its geographic origins.
Another historical figure with the Gilley surname was Thomas Gilley, born in 1568 in Lincolnshire, England. He was a renowned theologian and academic who served as the Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge from 1628 until his death in 1636.
In the 17th century, the Gilley surname appeared in various parish records and documents across England, indicating its widespread distribution throughout the country. One such record includes the baptism of William Gilley in 1642 in the parish of St. Mary's in Taunton, Somerset.
As the centuries progressed, the Gilley surname continued to be found in various regions of England, with families bearing the name contributing to the rich tapestry of English history and society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gilley
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilley, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Gilley 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 Gilley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.0% · 8,091
- Black or African American4.6% · 425
- Two or more races4.2% · 395
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 301
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 40
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gilley
Gilley 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
#3,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,906
-38 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 3.36
Rank movement Down 286 places
2020
#3,714
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,305
-601 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 3.11
Rank movement Down 121 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,307 | 9,944 | 3.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,593 | 9,906 | 3.36 | -38 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 286 places |
| 2020 | #3,714 | 9,305 | 3.11 | -601 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 121 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 Gilley 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 | #3,593 | #3,714 | -3.4% |
| Count | 9,906 | 9,305 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.36 | 3.11 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gilley bearers went from 9,906 to 9,305 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 121 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,593 to #3,714.
FAQ
Gilley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gilley?
Name Census estimates that about 10,670 living Americans carry the surname Gilley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,123 residents.
How common is Gilley?
Gilley ranks #3,714 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.11 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 9,305 people with the surname Gilley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,670), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.11 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 Gilley.
Has Gilley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gilley went from 9,906 recorded bearers to 9,305. That is a decrease of 601 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,593 to #3,714.
What does the Census say about the background of Gilley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilley, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Gilley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (8,091 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gilley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.0%), Black (4.6%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Gilley (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 Gilley mean?
Derived from a French place name meaning "attendant" or "youth," likely referring to a young servant or page. 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 Gilley (3.11 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 have the surname Gilley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.