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

Gilmer, 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 Gilmer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gilmer in America

Gilmer is the 5213th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gilmer surname appeared 6,697 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 Gilmer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gilmer 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 Gilmer

The surname Gilmer is of English origin, deriving from the Old English given name Gilemar or Gylmyr, which was composed of the elements "gil" meaning "ravine" or "valley" and "mær" meaning "famous." This name was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of England during the Middle Ages.

The earliest known record of the Gilmer name dates back to the 12th century, with mentions found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire and the Curia Regis Rolls of Lincolnshire. The name also appeared in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which were records of landowners in various counties.

In the 14th century, there are references to individuals bearing the Gilmer surname in various historical documents. One notable example is John Gilmer, a merchant from York, who was granted a license to trade in 1387.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Gilmer name was associated with several notable figures. Sir John Gilmer (1516-1585) was a renowned English lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Baron of the Exchequer. Thomas Gilmer (1577-1638) was a prominent theologian and clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Essex.

The surname Gilmer also has connections to place names in England. The village of Gilmerton, located in the county of Leicestershire, is believed to have derived its name from the Gilmer family who once held lands there.

In the 18th century, George Gilmer (1700-1782) was a distinguished English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Radcliffe Camera in Oxford. Another notable figure from this period was Thomas Gilmer (1718-1788), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War.

Moving into the 19th century, John Gilmer (1805-1868) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 33rd Governor of Virginia. He was also a prominent figure in the Confederate States of America during the Civil War.

These are just a few examples of individuals bearing the Gilmer surname who have left their mark on history. The name's origins can be traced back to the Old English language and its prevalence in northern England during the Middle Ages, with records spanning several centuries and connections to both notable figures and place names.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gilmer

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

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

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

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