2000
#661
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 47,050
First available Census row
Per 100,000 17.44
Uncommon Last name
Gilmore
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from a place name meaning "big servant" or "follower of the servant of Mary."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 53,627 Americans carry the last name Gilmore. That puts it at #721 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 15.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 6,391 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gilmore 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 Gilmore with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
54K
1 in 6,391
Census rank
#721
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
15.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
47K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 46,765 bearers of the surname Gilmore in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 15.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 721st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilmore, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.7%. The next largest groups are Black (27.3%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gilmore
The surname Gilmore has its origins in Scotland, first appearing in written records in the 12th century. It is believed to derive from the Gaelic words "gill" meaning a small stream or ravine, and "mor" meaning large or great, thus suggesting the name may have referred to someone living near a significant stream or valley.
Early references to variations of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded individuals who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. Entries such as Gillemor and Gilmor appear in these records, indicating the name's Scottish roots.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Gilmores were a prominent family in Galloway, with their lands centered around the parish of Mochrum in Wigtownshire. They were allies of the powerful Black Douglases and fought alongside them in many conflicts against the English.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name was Sir John Gilmour, who was knighted by King Robert the Bruce in the early 14th century for his bravery in the Wars of Scottish Independence. Another notable figure was William Gilmore, who served as Provost of Edinburgh in the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the Gilmores were among the Scottish families who migrated to Ulster, Ireland, during the Plantation of Ulster. They settled in County Down and County Antrim, and their descendants would later play a significant role in the American Revolutionary War.
One such descendant was Andrew Gilmore (1737-1792), an Irish-born American soldier and politician who served as a Brigadier General in the Continental Army and later represented Pennsylvania in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Sir Samuel Gilmore (1887-1966), an Irish lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland from 1944 to 1953.
In the literary world, Mary Gilmore (1865-1962) was a celebrated Australian poet and author, known for her works depicting the lives of the country's working class and advocating for social reform.
The name Gilmore has also been associated with several place names, such as Gilmorehill in Glasgow, Scotland, and the town of Gilmore City in Iowa, United States, which was named after a local landowner.
Overall, the surname Gilmore has a rich history rooted in Scotland, with branches extending to Ireland, North America, and beyond, reflecting the migrations and achievements of those who bore this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gilmore
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilmore, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.7%. The next largest groups are Black (27.3%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gilmore 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 Gilmore surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.7% · 29,308
- Black or African American27.3% · 12,759
- Two or more races4.7% · 2,221
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 1,791
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 378
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 308
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gilmore
Gilmore 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
#714
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 48,719
+1,669 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 16.52
Rank movement Down 53 places
2020
#721
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 46,765
-1,954 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 15.65
Rank movement Down 7 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #661 | 47,050 | 17.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #714 | 48,719 | 16.52 | +1,669 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 53 places |
| 2020 | #721 | 46,765 | 15.65 | -1,954 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 7 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 Gilmore 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 | #714 | #721 | -1.0% |
| Count | 48,719 | 46,765 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 16.52 | 15.65 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gilmore bearers went from 48,719 to 46,765 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 7 positions in the national ranking, going from #714 to #721.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gilmore
FAQ
Gilmore surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gilmore?
Name Census estimates that about 53,627 living Americans carry the surname Gilmore. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 6,391 residents.
How common is Gilmore?
Gilmore ranks #721 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 15.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 16 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 46,765 people with the surname Gilmore. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (53,627), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 15.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 15.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 16 of them to have the surname Gilmore.
Has Gilmore become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gilmore went from 48,719 recorded bearers to 46,765. That is a decrease of 1,954 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #714 to #721.
What does the Census say about the background of Gilmore?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilmore, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.7%. The next largest groups are Black (27.3%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Gilmore in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.7% (29,308 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gilmore appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.7%), Black (27.3%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Gilmore (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 Gilmore mean?
A Scottish and Irish surname derived from a place name meaning "big servant" or "follower of the servant of Mary." 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 Gilmore (15.65 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 are called Gilmore?
Find out how many people have the surname Gilmore on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.