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

Jill, 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 Jill surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jill in America

Jill is the 117480th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jill surname appeared 148 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 Jill.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jill 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 Jill

The surname Jill is of English origin and is believed to have originated as a nickname derived from the given name Gillian or Julia. The name can be traced back to the Middle English period, around the 12th to 15th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Jill can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a person named Adam Jill is mentioned. This suggests that the surname was already in use as a hereditary name by that time.

The name Jill is thought to have evolved from the Old French name Gille or Gille, which was a diminutive form of the name Gillian or Julian. These names were derived from the Latin name Julianus, meaning "descendant of Julius."

In the Domesday Book, a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are several entries that mention individuals with the name Gille or similar spellings, which could be the predecessors of the surname Jill.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Jill was Sir John Jill, a prominent English knight who lived in the 14th century. He was mentioned in various historical records and chronicles from that time period.

Another notable individual with the surname Jill was William Jill, a wealthy merchant and landowner from London, who lived in the 15th century. He was involved in various trade ventures and owned properties in the city.

In the 16th century, there was a family of Jills who resided in the village of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire. They were known for their involvement in the local pottery industry, which was a significant trade in the area at that time.

A famous bearer of the surname Jill was John Jill, an English author and poet who lived in the 17th century. He was known for his satirical works and plays, which were popular during the Restoration period.

Another individual worth mentioning is Mary Jill, a prominent Quaker preacher and activist who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. She traveled extensively throughout England and the American colonies, advocating for religious tolerance and social reform.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jill

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

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

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

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