2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gillmann
A surname derived from a pet form of the masculine given name Giles or Gilles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Gillmann. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gillmann 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.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Gillmann in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gillmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gillmann
The surname Gillmann is of German origin, with roots tracing back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the German word "Gill," which means a ravine or a small valley, combined with the suffix "-mann," indicating a person or a man.
Historically, the Gillmann name was most prevalent in the regions of Bavaria, Saxony, and Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. It is thought to be derived from occupational or locational surnames, either referring to individuals who lived near a ravine or those who worked in such areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gillmann name can be found in the Bavarian town of Regensburg, where a certain Hans Gillmann is mentioned in a 1425 municipal record. Additionally, the name appears in the Saxony region's church records from the 16th century, indicating its presence in different parts of Germany.
Notable individuals with the Gillmann surname include Johann Gillmann (1765-1826), a German theologian and philosopher who wrote extensively on the relationship between religion and morality. Another prominent figure was Karl Friedrich Gillmann (1801-1868), a German jurist and legal scholar known for his contributions to the field of civil law.
In the realm of literature, the novelist and poet Melchior Gillmann (1833-1912), born in Rhineland-Palatinate, gained recognition for his works depicting rural life and the struggles of the working class. His contemporaries included the artist and illustrator Wilhelm Gillmann (1840-1914), whose paintings and drawings captured the landscapes and daily life of his native region.
Moving into the 20th century, the Gillmann name continued to be associated with notable figures, such as the German-American engineer and inventor Max Gillmann (1887-1976), who made significant contributions to the development of early television technology.
While the Gillmann surname may have evolved and spread to different parts of the world over time, its origins can be traced back to the German regions of Bavaria, Saxony, and Rhineland-Palatinate, where it was first recorded and associated with occupational and locational roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gillmann
Among Census respondents with the surname Gillmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gillmann 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 Gillmann surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.3% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gillmann
Gillmann 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-5 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,028 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,430 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 15,028 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 1,430 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 Gillmann 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 | #153,769 | #152,339 | 0.9% |
| Count | 106 | 106 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gillmann bearers went from 106 to 106 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 1,430 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #152,339.
FAQ
Gillmann surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gillmann?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Gillmann. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Gillmann?
Gillmann ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Gillmann. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Gillmann.
Has Gillmann become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gillmann went from 106 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Gillmann?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gillmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Gillmann in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gillmann appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.3%), Hispanic (2.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Gillmann (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 Gillmann mean?
A surname derived from a pet form of the masculine given name Giles or Gilles. 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 Gillmann (0.04 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 Gillmann?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.