2000
#4,531
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,197
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.67
Rare Last name
Gilson
A patronymic surname derived from the medieval personal name Giles, meaning "pledged" or "young goat."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,025 Americans carry the last name Gilson. That puts it at #4,887 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 42,711 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gilson 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 Gilson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.0K
1 in 42,711
Census rank
#4,887
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,998 bearers of the surname Gilson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4887th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilson, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Black (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gilson
The surname Gilson originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the personal name Giles, which was a popular name among early Christians. The name Giles itself is derived from the Greek name Aegidius, meaning "young goat."
Gilson is believed to have emerged as a surname in the 12th or 13th century, initially appearing as Gileson or Gillesone. It was a patronymic surname, indicating "son of Giles." The earliest known record of the surname Gilson dates back to the 13th century in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Gilson can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a William Gileson is listed as a landowner in Suffolk. This historical document provides valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of surnames during that period.
In the 14th century, the surname Gilson appeared in various spellings, including Gilsoun, Gilleson, and Gillyson, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling practices. This diversity in spelling was common before the standardization of English orthography.
A notable figure bearing the surname Gilson was Sir Ralph Gilson, who lived in the early 15th century and served as a member of parliament for Northumberland in 1406 and 1411. He was also appointed as a tax collector for the county in 1412.
Another prominent individual with the surname Gilson was Thomas Gilson, a merchant and alderman of London, who lived in the 16th century. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1551 and was involved in various charitable endeavors.
In the 17th century, the Gilson family established themselves in Hertfordshire, where they owned substantial land and property. One notable member was Edward Gilson, born in 1636, who was a successful barrister and served as a Justice of the Peace.
The surname Gilson also found its way to other parts of the British Isles. In Scotland, a branch of the Gilson family settled in Ayrshire, where they were known for their involvement in agriculture and local governance.
Throughout history, the surname Gilson has been associated with various professions, including clergy, merchants, lawyers, and landowners. Despite its English origins, the name has spread to other parts of the world, carried by migration and immigration patterns.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gilson
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilson, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Black (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Gilson 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 Gilson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 6,192
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 263
- Black or African American3.1% · 217
- Two or more races2.9% · 204
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 61
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 61
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gilson
Gilson 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
#4,846
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,271
+74 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 2.46
Rank movement Down 315 places
2020
#4,887
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,998
-273 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 2.34
Rank movement Down 41 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,531 | 7,197 | 2.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,846 | 7,271 | 2.46 | +74 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 315 places |
| 2020 | #4,887 | 6,998 | 2.34 | -273 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 41 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 Gilson 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 | #4,846 | #4,887 | -0.8% |
| Count | 7,271 | 6,998 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.46 | 2.34 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gilson bearers went from 7,271 to 6,998 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 41 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,846 to #4,887.
FAQ
Gilson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gilson?
Name Census estimates that about 8,025 living Americans carry the surname Gilson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 42,711 residents.
How common is Gilson?
Gilson ranks #4,887 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,998 people with the surname Gilson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,025), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Gilson.
Has Gilson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gilson went from 7,271 recorded bearers to 6,998. That is a decrease of 273 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,846 to #4,887.
What does the Census say about the background of Gilson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilson, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Black (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 Gilson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (6,192 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gilson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (3.8%), Black (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 Gilson (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 Gilson mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the medieval personal name Giles, meaning "pledged" or "young goat." 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 Gilson (2.34 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 share the surname Gilson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.