2000
#14,122
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,955
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.72
Rare Last name
Gills
Derived from a nickname for someone with a cheerful or lively disposition, from Middle English "gille" meaning "jovial".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,173 Americans carry the last name Gills. That puts it at #14,974 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 157,733 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gills 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 Gills with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 157,733
Census rank
#14,974
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,895 bearers of the surname Gills in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14974th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gills, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.7%. The next largest groups are Black (40.2%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gills
The surname Gills has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "gill," which referred to a narrow valley or ravine. This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a topographic name, describing a person who lived near or in such a geographical feature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Gille" and "Gille de Heriz." This indicates that the name was already established in England during the Norman Conquest.
In the 13th century, records show variations of the name such as "Gille," "Gille de la Hulle," and "Gille de Hyldene." The latter two examples incorporate place names, further reinforcing the topographic association of the name.
During the 14th century, the surname began to take on its more modern spelling, with instances like "Robert Gille" recorded in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Gills include:
1. John Gills (c. 1565-1635), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament for Maldon in 1597.
2. Thomas Gills (1658-1723), an English minister and author of the influential work "The Cause of God and Truth."
3. Mary Gills (1736-1809), a British botanist and illustrator known for her contributions to the study of flora.
4. William Gills (1792-1867), a British naval officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a baronet.
5. Edward Gills (1871-1940), an American politician who served as the 32nd Governor of New Jersey from 1924 to 1927.
The name Gills has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Gillingham in Kent, Gillingham in Dorset, and Gillsland in Cumbria. These place names likely share a similar etymological root, further solidifying the connection between the surname and geographical features.
While the surname Gills is not among the most common in modern times, its rich history and origins in medieval England provide insight into the lives and settlements of those who first bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gills
Among Census respondents with the surname Gills, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.7%. The next largest groups are Black (40.2%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Gills 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 Gills surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White48.7% · 923
- Black or African American40.2% · 762
- Two or more races5.3% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 79
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gills
Gills 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
#14,651
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,031
+76 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 529 places
2020
#14,974
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,895
-136 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 323 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,122 | 1,955 | 0.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,651 | 2,031 | 0.69 | +76 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 529 places |
| 2020 | #14,974 | 1,895 | 0.63 | -136 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 323 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 Gills 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 | #14,651 | #14,974 | -2.2% |
| Count | 2,031 | 1,895 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.63 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gills bearers went from 2,031 to 1,895 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 323 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,651 to #14,974.
FAQ
Gills surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gills?
Name Census estimates that about 2,173 living Americans carry the surname Gills. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 157,733 residents.
How common is Gills?
Gills ranks #14,974 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,895 people with the surname Gills. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,173), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Gills.
Has Gills become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gills went from 2,031 recorded bearers to 1,895. That is a decrease of 136 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,651 to #14,974.
What does the Census say about the background of Gills?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gills, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.7%. The next largest groups are Black (40.2%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Gills in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.7% (923 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gills appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (48.7%), Black (40.2%), Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Gills (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 Gills mean?
Derived from a nickname for someone with a cheerful or lively disposition, from Middle English "gille" meaning "jovial". 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 Gills (0.63 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 people have the last name Gills?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Gills on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.