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

Gilroy, 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 Gilroy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gilroy in America

Gilroy is the 8449th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gilroy surname appeared 3,910 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Gilroy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gilroy 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 Gilroy

The surname Gilroy has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "gille" meaning "servant" and "ruadh" meaning "red-haired." The name likely referred to a red-haired servant or attendant.

The earliest known reference to the name Gilroy can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appeared as "Gilleroth" in this historical document.

In the 15th century, the Gilroy family held lands in Ayrshire, Scotland. The name was also associated with the village of Gilroy, located in Kincardineshire. This place name likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Gilroy was John Gilroy, who was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, in 1534. He was a prominent merchant and landowner in the region.

Another notable figure was Sir John Gilroy (1564-1636), a Scottish soldier and diplomat who served under King James VI of Scotland and later King James I of England. He played a significant role in the negotiations that led to the Union of the Crowns in 1603.

In the 17th century, the Gilroy family established themselves in County Donegal, Ireland. Samuel Gilroy (1628-1703) was a prominent landowner and member of the Irish Parliament, representing the borough of Donegal.

During the 18th century, several members of the Gilroy family emigrated to the American colonies. One such individual was Robert Gilroy (1740-1815), who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Pennsylvania.

In the 19th century, John Gilroy (1819-1892) was a notable Irish-American artist and illustrator, renowned for his political cartoons and caricatures. He is often referred to as the "Father of the American Cartoon."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gilroy

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

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

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

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