2000
#7,460
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.53
Rare Last name
Glisson
Derived from a place name in England, likely referring to a place with glass or glazed windows.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,442 Americans carry the last name Glisson. That puts it at #8,192 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,162 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Glisson 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
4.4K
1 in 77,162
Census rank
#8,192
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,874 bearers of the surname Glisson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8192nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Glisson, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Black (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Glisson
The surname Glisson has its origins in England, with the earliest known references dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English personal name Gylys, which was a diminutive form of the name William. The name Gylys eventually evolved into the surname Glisson.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Glisson can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, where a John Gilysoun is mentioned. This spelling variation provides insight into the evolution of the name over time.
In the 14th century, records indicate that the Glisson family held lands in Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. A notable entry is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1327, which lists a Robert Gylysoun as a taxpayer in the village of Frampton-on-Severn.
The Glisson surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Glisson Green in Gloucestershire and Glisson's Farm in Oxfordshire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, suggesting the presence of Glisson families in those areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Glisson in literature can be found in the works of the 16th-century English playwright and poet Thomas Heywood, who mentions a character named Glisson in his play "The Wise Woman of Hogsdon" (1604).
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Glisson. Francis Glisson (1597-1677) was an English physician and anatomist who made significant contributions to the study of the human body. He is best known for his work on the anatomy of the liver and for coining the term "irritability" in reference to the contractility of muscles.
Another prominent figure was William Glisson (1600-1679), an English politician and lawyer who served as a Member of Parliament for Penryn in Cornwall during the English Civil War. He was a staunch Royalist and played a role in the defense of Oxford during the conflict.
In the 18th century, there was John Glisson (1717-1792), an English clergyman and author who wrote extensively on theological subjects. His most notable work was "The Doctrine of Reprobation Briefly Considered" (1755), which addressed the controversial theological concept of predestination.
Moving into the 19th century, we find Mary Glisson (1819-1898), a British poet and writer who published several volumes of poetry and novels. Her works often explored themes of love, nature, and the struggles of women in Victorian society.
Finally, in the 20th century, there was Alfred Glisson (1902-1988), a British artist and illustrator best known for his work in children's literature. He illustrated numerous books, including several editions of Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Glisson
Among Census respondents with the surname Glisson, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Black (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Glisson 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 Glisson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 3,395
- Two or more races4.9% · 189
- Black or African American4.3% · 167
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 83
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Glisson
Glisson 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
#7,607
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,370
+255 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 1.48
Rank movement Down 147 places
2020
#8,192
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,874
-496 bearers (-11.4%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Down 585 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,460 | 4,115 | 1.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,607 | 4,370 | 1.48 | +255 bearers (+6.2%) | Down 147 places |
| 2020 | #8,192 | 3,874 | 1.30 | -496 bearers (-11.4%) | Down 585 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 Glisson 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 | #7,607 | #8,192 | -7.7% |
| Count | 4,370 | 3,874 | -11.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.48 | 1.30 | -12.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Glisson bearers went from 4,370 to 3,874 (-11.4% change). The surname moved down 585 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,607 to #8,192.
FAQ
Glisson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Glisson?
Name Census estimates that about 4,442 living Americans carry the surname Glisson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,162 residents.
How common is Glisson?
Glisson ranks #8,192 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.30 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 3,874 people with the surname Glisson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,442), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.30 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 Glisson.
Has Glisson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Glisson went from 4,370 recorded bearers to 3,874. That is a decrease of 496 (-11.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,607 to #8,192.
What does the Census say about the background of Glisson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Glisson, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Black (4.3%). 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 Glisson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (3,395 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Glisson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Two or More Races (4.9%), Black (4.3%). 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 Glisson (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 Glisson mean?
Derived from a place name in England, likely referring to a place with glass or glazed windows. 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 Glisson (1.30 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 are called Glisson?
Find out how many people are called Glisson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.