2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gilvary
A Gaelic surname indicating someone from Glengarry or originating from that Scottish region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Gilvary. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gilvary 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Gilvary in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilvary, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gilvary
The surname GILVARY has its origins in the Scottish Highlands, likely emerging in the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic words "gillie" meaning servant or attendant, and "bheàrr" which translates to shave or crop, potentially referring to a servant tasked with grooming or shearing livestock.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GILVARY can be found in the 1376 Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which mention a "Gillebryde Gyllewery" residing in the county of Banff. This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames during that era, as they often transformed through generations and regional dialects.
In the 16th century, the GILVARY name appeared in the Scottish Highlands, particularly in the parish records of Lochcarron, Ross-shire. Notable individuals from this period include Donald GILVARY, born around 1520 in Strathconon, and his son, Angus GILVARY (c. 1550-1621), who was a respected clansman and cattle herder.
The GILVARY name has been linked to various historical events and figures throughout the centuries. In the 17th century, a Iain GILVARY (1632-1712) from Gairloch was recorded as a participant in the Jacobite Risings, supporting the restoration of the Stuart monarchy.
During the 18th century, the name GILVARY was found in the parish records of Dingwall, Ross-shire, with Kenneth GILVARY (1725-1801) being a prominent landowner and cattle trader in the region. His son, Duncan GILVARY (1760-1842), was a renowned piper and composer, whose tunes are still played today.
As the GILVARY name spread beyond Scotland, notable individuals emerged in other parts of the British Isles and beyond. In the 19th century, William GILVARY (1812-1887), born in County Donegal, Ireland, was a successful merchant and philanthropist in London, known for his support of various charitable causes.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diversity of the GILVARY surname, which has its roots firmly planted in the Scottish Highlands but has also left its mark on various other regions and historical events over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gilvary
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilvary, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gilvary 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 Gilvary surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 5
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gilvary
Gilvary 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
#124,548
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
+29 bearers (+26.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 16,208 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-30 bearers (-21.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 26,387 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #124,548 | 138 | 0.05 | +29 bearers (+26.6%) | Up 16,208 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -30 bearers (-21.7%) | Down 26,387 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 Gilvary 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 | #124,548 | #150,935 | -21.2% |
| Count | 138 | 108 | -21.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -27.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gilvary bearers went from 138 to 108 (-21.7% change). The surname moved down 26,387 positions in the national ranking, going from #124,548 to #150,935.
FAQ
Gilvary surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gilvary?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Gilvary. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Gilvary?
Gilvary ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Gilvary. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Gilvary.
Has Gilvary become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gilvary went from 138 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 30 (-21.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #124,548 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Gilvary?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilvary, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Black (1.9%). 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 Gilvary in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gilvary appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (4.6%), Black (1.9%). 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 Gilvary (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 Gilvary mean?
A Gaelic surname indicating someone from Glengarry or originating from that Scottish region. 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 Gilvary (0.04 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 Gilvary?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.