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

Gilyard, 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 Gilyard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gilyard in America

Gilyard is the 14783rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gilyard surname appeared 2,008 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 Gilyard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gilyard 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 Gilyard

The surname Gilyard originated in England, with records dating back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "gile" meaning "ravine" or "deep valley" and "geard" meaning "yard" or "enclosure". This suggests the name may have referred to someone who lived near or worked in a ravine or valley.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1190, where a William Gilliard is mentioned. The name also appears in various medieval records with spellings like Gilyard, Gyllyard, and Gyllyarde.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to places like Gillingeham and Gillingham, which may have influenced the development of the surname Gilyard. These place names likely derive from the Old English words "gylling" meaning "young pig" and "ham" meaning "homestead" or "village".

Notable individuals with the surname Gilyard throughout history include Sir John Gilyard, a 14th-century English landowner and member of parliament, and William Gilyard, a 16th-century English merchant and explorer who traveled to the Americas.

Other notable individuals include:

1. Thomas Gilyard (1593-1676), an English clergyman and author.
2. Mary Gilyard (1710-1788), an English philanthropist and benefactor.
3. James Gilyard (1842-1912), an American Civil War veteran and politician.
4. Robert Gilyard (1875-1957), a British architect and designer.
5. Elizabeth Gilyard (1901-1989), an American educator and civil rights activist.

The surname Gilyard has been present in various regions of England, particularly in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and the West Midlands, and has since spread to other parts of the world through migration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gilyard

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

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

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

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