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

Gilzean, 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 Gilzean surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gilzean in America

Gilzean is the 153769th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gilzean surname appeared 106 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gilzean.

The history of the last name Gilzean

The surname Gilzean is of Scottish origin, emerging in the late 13th century in the Angus region of eastern Scotland. It is derived from the Gaelic words "gille" meaning servant or attendant, and "Gileán" which was a personal name meaning "a little gillie" or "servant lad." The name likely referred to an attendant or servant in a noble household.

One of the earliest known records of the name is found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1292, which mentions a "Gillysone de Arnele." This entry suggests the name was already in use and may have originated from a place name like Arneill or Arnhall.

By the 15th century, the name had evolved to its more modern spelling of Gilzean. In 1476, a charter from King James III granted lands in Angus to a John Gilzean. This document provides one of the first clear examples of the surname spelled as we know it today.

Notable bearers of the Gilzean name include Robert Gilzean, a merchant and burgess of Dundee in the late 16th century. In 1598, he was recorded as owning several properties within the burgh. Another early example is John Gilzean, a landowner in the parish of Arbirlot, Angus, who is mentioned in records from the early 1600s.

During the 17th century, the Gilzeans appeared to have spread throughout eastern Scotland. James Gilzean (1619-1679) was a minister in the parish of Alford in Aberdeenshire. Meanwhile, a family of Gilzeans held lands in the parish of Kirriemuir, Angus, including William Gilzean (1658-1732) who was a notable local landowner.

As the name moved into the 18th and 19th centuries, it remained concentrated in the Angus and Aberdeenshire areas. Individuals like Alexander Gilzean (1761-1823), a farmer in the parish of Arbroath, and David Gilzean (1802-1879), a merchant in the town of Brechin, carried on the name's regional legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gilzean

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

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 Gilzean 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.

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

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

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