2000
#4,964
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,500
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.41
Rare Last name
Gilmer
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from a place name meaning "reed pond" or "loch of reeds."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,175 Americans carry the last name Gilmer. That puts it at #5,380 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,771 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gilmer 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 Gilmer with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.2K
1 in 47,771
Census rank
#5,380
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,257 bearers of the surname Gilmer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5380th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.5%. The next largest groups are Black (20.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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In the 14th century, there are references to individuals bearing the Gilmer surname in various historical documents.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gilmer
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.5%. The next largest groups are Black (20.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Gilmer 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 Gilmer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.5% · 4,473
- Black or African American20.5% · 1,281
- Two or more races4.2% · 263
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 180
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 43
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gilmer
Gilmer 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
#5,213
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,697
+197 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 2.27
Rank movement Down 249 places
2020
#5,380
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,257
-440 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 2.09
Rank movement Down 167 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,964 | 6,500 | 2.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,213 | 6,697 | 2.27 | +197 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 249 places |
| 2020 | #5,380 | 6,257 | 2.09 | -440 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 167 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 Gilmer 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 | #5,213 | #5,380 | -3.2% |
| Count | 6,697 | 6,257 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.27 | 2.09 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gilmer bearers went from 6,697 to 6,257 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 167 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,213 to #5,380.
FAQ
Gilmer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gilmer?
Name Census estimates that about 7,175 living Americans carry the surname Gilmer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,771 residents.
How common is Gilmer?
Gilmer ranks #5,380 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,257 people with the surname Gilmer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,175), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Gilmer.
Has Gilmer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gilmer went from 6,697 recorded bearers to 6,257. That is a decrease of 440 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,213 to #5,380.
What does the Census say about the background of Gilmer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.5%. The next largest groups are Black (20.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Gilmer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.5% (4,473 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gilmer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.5%), Black (20.5%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Gilmer (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 Gilmer mean?
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from a place name meaning "reed pond" or "loch of reeds." 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 Gilmer (2.09 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 Gilmer?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.