2000
#8,111
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,766
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.40
Rare Last name
Gilreath
A Scottish habitational surname derived from a place meaning "the red ravine" in Gaelic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,264 Americans carry the last name Gilreath. That puts it at #8,508 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 80,383 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gilreath 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.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 80,383
Census rank
#8,508
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,718 bearers of the surname Gilreath in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8508th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilreath, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gilreath
The surname Gilreath has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have been derived from the Gaelic words "gille" meaning "servant" and "reath" meaning "grace" or "prosperity." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a servant or attendant of someone noble or wealthy.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical record of Scottish landowners and nobles who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name is listed as "Gilreuath," indicating its ancient roots and evolution in spelling over time.
In the 16th century, a branch of the Gilreath family settled in the Scottish Borders region, particularly in the areas of Dumfries and Galloway. This is where the name became more prominent, with several notable individuals emerging.
One such individual was John Gilreath, born in 1625 in Dumfries. He was a renowned scholar and theologian, serving as a minister in the Church of Scotland and later becoming the principal of the University of Edinburgh in 1685.
Another notable figure was Sir James Gilreath, born in 1670 in Galloway. He was a respected military leader and served as a colonel in the British Army during the War of the Spanish Succession. His bravery and leadership earned him recognition and honors from King George I.
In the late 17th century, some Gilreath families migrated to Ireland, particularly to County Antrim, where they established themselves as landowners and farmers. One prominent member was William Gilreath, born in 1710 in Antrim, who became a successful merchant and played a significant role in the local community.
As the Gilreath name spread across the British Isles, it also found its way to the American colonies in the 18th century. One of the earliest recorded Gilreaths in America was Robert Gilreath, born in 1725 in Dumfries, Scotland. He settled in Virginia and became a prosperous farmer and landowner.
Another notable American Gilreath was Reverend James Gilreath, born in 1785 in North Carolina. He was a prominent Baptist minister and educator, founding several churches and serving as the president of Wake Forest College (now Wake Forest University) from 1846 to 1849.
While the Gilreath surname has its roots in Scotland, it has since become widely dispersed across various parts of the world, with families embracing diverse professions and contributing to the rich tapestry of global history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gilreath
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilreath, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gilreath 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 Gilreath surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.0% · 3,122
- Black or African American8.1% · 302
- Two or more races4.7% · 173
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 84
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gilreath
Gilreath 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
#8,456
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,905
+139 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.32
Rank movement Down 345 places
2020
#8,508
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,718
-187 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Down 52 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,111 | 3,766 | 1.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,456 | 3,905 | 1.32 | +139 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 345 places |
| 2020 | #8,508 | 3,718 | 1.24 | -187 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 52 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 Gilreath 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 | #8,456 | #8,508 | -0.6% |
| Count | 3,905 | 3,718 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.32 | 1.24 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gilreath bearers went from 3,905 to 3,718 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 52 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,456 to #8,508.
FAQ
Gilreath surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gilreath?
Name Census estimates that about 4,264 living Americans carry the surname Gilreath. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 80,383 residents.
How common is Gilreath?
Gilreath ranks #8,508 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.24 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 3,718 people with the surname Gilreath. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,264), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.24 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 Gilreath.
Has Gilreath become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gilreath went from 3,905 recorded bearers to 3,718. That is a decrease of 187 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,456 to #8,508.
What does the Census say about the background of Gilreath?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilreath, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.1%) 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 Gilreath in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.0% (3,122 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gilreath appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.0%), Black (8.1%), 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 Gilreath (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 Gilreath mean?
A Scottish habitational surname derived from a place meaning "the red ravine" in Gaelic. 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 Gilreath (1.24 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 Gilreath?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.