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

Gilligan, 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 Gilligan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gilligan in America

Gilligan is the 5557th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gilligan surname appeared 6,257 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Gilligan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gilligan 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 Gilligan

The surname Gilligan is an Anglicized form of the ancient Irish name O'Gilligan, derived from the Gaelic "giolla" meaning "servant" or "lad". It originated in County Sligo, Ireland, where the clan held territories during the Middle Ages.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, dating back to the 13th century. It mentions a "Gilligan O'Gilligan" who was a chieftain in County Sligo around 1275.

In the 16th century, during the Tudor conquest of Ireland, many Irish families were dispossessed of their lands and sought refuge in other parts of the country or abroad. This led to the spread of the Gilligan name throughout Ireland and eventually to other parts of the British Isles.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Gilligan, a soldier and statesman who served as Lord Lieutenant of County Sligo in the early 17th century. He played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars (1641-1653) and was ultimately executed by the English Parliament in 1652.

Another historical figure with the Gilligan surname was Reverend John Gilligan, a Catholic priest born in County Sligo in 1738. He was a prominent educator and founded several schools in Ireland during the late 18th century.

In the 19th century, many Gilligans immigrated to North America, Australia, and other parts of the world, fleeing poverty and famine in Ireland. One of the earliest recorded Gilligans in the United States was Patrick Gilligan, who arrived in New York in 1817 from County Sligo.

Other notable Gilligans throughout history include:

1. Eugene Gilligan (1878-1966), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist in New York City.
2. James Gilligan (1917-2003), an American psychiatrist and author known for his work on violence prevention.
3. Andrew Gilligan (born 1968), a British journalist and broadcaster who played a central role in the BBC's coverage of the Iraq War.
4. Carol Gilligan (born 1936), an American feminist and psychologist known for her work on ethical development.
5. Vince Gilligan (born 1967), an American writer, producer, and director, best known for creating the critically acclaimed TV series Breaking Bad.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gilligan

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

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

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

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