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

Gillie, 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 Gillie surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gillie in America

Gillie is the 20818th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gillie surname appeared 1,268 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 Gillie.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gillie 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 Gillie

The surname GILLIE is of Scottish origin, originating from the Gaelic word "gille" which means "servant" or "attendant." It was often used as a occupational surname for those who worked as servants or attendants to important figures or households.

The earliest recorded instances of this surname date back to the 13th century in Scotland. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was John Gillie, who was mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Scottish Wars of Independence.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the name GILLIE was particularly prevalent in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, where it was associated with various clans and families. In the 16th century, the Gillies of Glenrawe were a prominent branch of the Clan Macgregor, known for their loyalty and service to the Macgregor chiefs.

A notable historical figure bearing the GILLIE surname was Duncan Gillie, a Scottish soldier and poet who lived in the early 17th century. He is known for his work "A Shorthand Treatise," which is considered one of the earliest works on shorthand writing in Scotland.

Another distinguished bearer of this name was John Gillie, a Scottish minister and author born in 1735. He wrote several influential works on Scottish history and literature, including "Historical Collections Relating to Remarkable Periods of the Success of the Gospel" and "Traditions of the Covenanters."

In the 19th century, William Gillie (1815-1876) was a Scottish landscape painter who specialized in depicting scenes from the Scottish Highlands. His works were highly regarded and are now part of several art collections in Scotland.

The GILLIE surname has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Gillies Hill in Aberdeenshire and Gillies' Burn in Lanarkshire. These place names likely derived from individuals or families bearing the GILLIE surname who lived or owned land in those areas.

While the surname GILLIE is primarily of Scottish origin, it has also been found in other parts of the United Kingdom and beyond, likely due to migration and settlement patterns over the centuries. However, its roots and earliest recorded instances can be traced back to the rugged landscapes and rich cultural heritage of Scotland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gillie

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

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

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

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