2000
#2,517
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,170
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.88
Uncommon Last name
Gilliland
Derived from a place name meaning "servant of St. Giles' church land" in Old English and Scottish.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,684 Americans carry the last name Gilliland. That puts it at #2,741 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 23,342 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gilliland 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 Gilliland with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 23,342
Census rank
#2,741
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,805 bearers of the surname Gilliland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2741st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilliland, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gilliland
The surname Gilliland has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the lands of Gillyland or Gillielands in Wigtownshire. The name likely stems from the Gaelic "Gillie," meaning a servant or attendant, combined with the Old English word "land," referring to an area or territory.
In ancient Scottish records, the name appears in various spellings, such as Gillyland, Gillielands, and Gillieland, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.
The Gillilands were a prominent family in the Scottish Borders region, with historical references indicating their involvement in local affairs and conflicts. Sir John Gilliland, born around 1550, was a renowned Scottish soldier who fought alongside King James VI and later served as a colonel in the Swedish army.
During the 17th century, the Gilliland name gained prominence in Ireland, particularly in County Antrim and County Down. It is believed that Scottish settlers and soldiers brought the name to Ulster during the Plantation of Ulster, a planned process of colonization by the English crown.
One notable figure was Reverend John Gilliland, born in 1649, a Presbyterian minister who played a significant role in the establishment of the Presbyterianism in Ireland. He was instrumental in founding the first Presbyterian congregation in Comber, County Down, and his descendants continued to be influential in the region.
Another notable Gilliland was Andrew Gilliland, born in 1690 in County Antrim. He was a prominent merchant and landowner who acquired substantial properties in Pennsylvania after emigrating to America in the early 18th century. His legacy includes the town of Gilliland, named after him, which is now part of Greene County, Pennsylvania.
In the 18th century, the Gillilands were among the many Scottish and Ulster-Scots families who emigrated to the American colonies, seeking new opportunities and religious freedom. James Gilliland, born in 1738 in County Antrim, served as a captain in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and later settled in South Carolina.
Throughout its history, the Gilliland surname has been associated with various prominent individuals, including authors, politicians, and military leaders, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who bear this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gilliland
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilliland, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Gilliland 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 Gilliland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 11,572
- Two or more races3.8% · 490
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 394
- Black or African American1.3% · 169
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 106
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 74
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gilliland
Gilliland 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
#2,698
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,351
+181 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 4.53
Rank movement Down 181 places
2020
#2,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,805
-546 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 4.28
Rank movement Down 43 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,517 | 13,170 | 4.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,698 | 13,351 | 4.53 | +181 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 181 places |
| 2020 | #2,741 | 12,805 | 4.28 | -546 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 43 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 Gilliland 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 | #2,698 | #2,741 | -1.6% |
| Count | 13,351 | 12,805 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 4.53 | 4.28 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gilliland bearers went from 13,351 to 12,805 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 43 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,698 to #2,741.
FAQ
Gilliland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gilliland?
Name Census estimates that about 14,684 living Americans carry the surname Gilliland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 23,342 residents.
How common is Gilliland?
Gilliland ranks #2,741 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,805 people with the surname Gilliland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,684), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Gilliland.
Has Gilliland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gilliland went from 13,351 recorded bearers to 12,805. That is a decrease of 546 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,698 to #2,741.
What does the Census say about the background of Gilliland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilliland, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Gilliland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (11,572 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gilliland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Gilliland (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 Gilliland mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "servant of St. Giles' church land" in Old English and Scottish. 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 Gilliland (4.28 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 Americans have the surname Gilliland?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.