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

Gillmore, 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 Gillmore surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gillmore in America

Gillmore is the 16315th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gillmore surname appeared 1,766 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Gillmore.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gillmore 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 Gillmore

The surname Gillmore has its origins in medieval England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "gile" meaning "ravine" or "deep valley" and "mor" meaning "moor" or "marsh." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a marshy ravine or valley.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1197, where a certain Gilbert de Gillemor is mentioned. This entry suggests that the name was initially spelled with an additional "e" at the end, a common variation in medieval times.

In the 13th century, the name appears in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1225, where a William Gilmor is listed as a landowner in Oxfordshire. This record provides evidence of the name's continued use and slightly different spelling variations during this period.

The Gillmore surname is also found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like survey of landowners in England. This document mentions a John de Gilmor from Oxfordshire, indicating the name's connection to that region.

One notable figure bearing the Gillmore surname was Sir Richard Gillmore (c. 1470-1527), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the city of London during the reign of Henry VIII. He served as Lord Mayor of London from 1521 to 1522.

Another individual of historical significance was Robert Gillmore (c. 1560-1623), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Rector of Somerton in Somerset. He was also a notable scholar and author, publishing works on theology and philosophy.

In the 17th century, the Gillmore surname can be found in records from the American colonies. One notable example is John Gillmore (c. 1630-1688), an early settler in Massachusetts Bay Colony who served as a deacon in the church of Ipswich.

Another prominent figure was Samuel Gillmore (1705-1786), an Irish-born American clergyman who served as the rector of St. Michael's Church in Charleston, South Carolina. He played a significant role in the early history of the Episcopal Church in America.

In more recent history, Sir Ralph Gillmore (1888-1965) was a British diplomat and civil servant who served as the Governor of Cyprus from 1946 to 1949, during a period of significant unrest and conflict on the island.

These examples illustrate the long and diverse history of the Gillmore surname, which has its roots in medieval England but has since spread to various parts of the world, including the American colonies and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gillmore

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

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

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

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