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

Gilpen, 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 Gilpen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gilpen in America

Gilpen is the 126765th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gilpen surname appeared 135 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gilpen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gilpen 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 Gilpen

The surname Gilpen is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "gil" meaning a ravine or deep valley, and "pen" meaning a hill or enclosure. The name likely referred to someone who lived in a deep valley near a hill or enclosure.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gilpen can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property rights commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Gilpen holding lands in the county of Gloucestershire.

In the 13th century, there are records of a family named Gilpen residing in the village of Gilpen, located in the county of Yorkshire. This village likely took its name from the family, indicating their longstanding presence in the area.

One notable individual with the surname Gilpen was Sir William Gilpen, a knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century. He is mentioned in several chronicles and records from that time period.

Another prominent figure was John Gilpen, a merchant and landowner who lived in the city of Bristol during the 16th century. He was a member of the wealthy Merchant Venturers society and played a role in the city's thriving trade with continental Europe.

In the 17th century, there was a certain Thomas Gilpen, a Puritan minister who emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s. He was among the early English settlers in the New World and helped establish one of the first Congregational churches in the colony.

A later individual of note was Elizabeth Gilpen, a renowned author and poet who lived in the 18th century. She published several volumes of poetry and was celebrated for her skill in capturing the beauty of the English countryside in her works.

Throughout the centuries, the Gilpen surname has also been associated with various place names and locations across England, such as Gilpen Dale in Derbyshire and Gilpen Fell in Cumbria, further reflecting the name's geographic origins and connections.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gilpen

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

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

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

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