2000
#8,053
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,797
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.41
Rare Last name
Gilroy
A surname of Irish origin meaning "son of the red-haired servant" or "son of the king's servant."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,277 Americans carry the last name Gilroy. That puts it at #8,486 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 80,139 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gilroy 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 Gilroy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 80,139
Census rank
#8,486
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,730 bearers of the surname Gilroy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8486th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilroy, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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 The name appeared as "Gilleroth" in this historical document.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."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gilroy
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilroy, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Gilroy 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 Gilroy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 3,359
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 131
- Two or more races3.1% · 117
- Black or African American2.1% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gilroy
Gilroy 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
#8,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,910
+113 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Down 396 places
2020
#8,486
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,730
-180 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Down 37 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,053 | 3,797 | 1.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,449 | 3,910 | 1.33 | +113 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 396 places |
| 2020 | #8,486 | 3,730 | 1.25 | -180 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 37 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 Gilroy 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 | #8,449 | #8,486 | -0.4% |
| Count | 3,910 | 3,730 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.33 | 1.25 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gilroy bearers went from 3,910 to 3,730 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 37 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,449 to #8,486.
FAQ
Gilroy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gilroy?
Name Census estimates that about 4,277 living Americans carry the surname Gilroy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 80,139 residents.
How common is Gilroy?
Gilroy ranks #8,486 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.25 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 3,730 people with the surname Gilroy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,277), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.25 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 Gilroy.
Has Gilroy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gilroy went from 3,910 recorded bearers to 3,730. That is a decrease of 180 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,449 to #8,486.
What does the Census say about the background of Gilroy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilroy, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Gilroy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (3,359 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gilroy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Gilroy (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 Gilroy mean?
A surname of Irish origin meaning "son of the red-haired servant" or "son of the king's servant." 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 Gilroy (1.25 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 have the surname Gilroy?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.