2000
#1,691
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,403
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.19
Uncommon Last name
Gil
A Spanish surname derived from the given name Gil, which is a shortened form of Egidio, meaning "shield" or "protection."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 30,991 Americans carry the last name Gil. That puts it at #1,274 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,060 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gil 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Gil with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
31K
1 in 11,060
Census rank
#1,274
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
27K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 27,026 bearers of the surname Gil in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1274th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gil, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.7%. The next largest groups are White (9.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gil
The surname GIL has its origins in Spain and Portugal, where it emerged during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the given name Gil, a Spanish and Portuguese form of the French name Gilles, which itself traces back to the Greek name Aegidius.
In its earliest recorded usage, the name GIL appeared in various medieval Spanish and Portuguese documents, such as the Libro de las Behetrías de Castilla, a 14th-century manuscript detailing the landholdings and privileges of Castilian nobles. It was also found in the Cancioneiro da Ajuda, a 13th-century Portuguese book of poems and songs.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname GIL was Gil Pérez, a 12th-century nobleman from the Kingdom of León in present-day Spain. Another notable figure was Gil Vicente, a renowned Portuguese playwright and poet who lived from around 1465 to 1536 and is considered the founder of Portuguese theater.
The name GIL has been associated with several place names in Spain and Portugal, such as Gil García, a town in the Spanish province of Ávila, and Villa Gil, a parish in the Portuguese municipality of Lousada. These place names likely derived from individuals with the surname GIL who were either landowners or founders of those settlements.
Throughout history, the surname GIL has been borne by various notable individuals, including:
1. Gil Álvarez Carrillo de Albornoz (1310-1367), a Spanish cardinal and military leader who played a pivotal role in the Avignon Papacy.
2. Gil de Siloé (c. 1435-1501), a Spanish sculptor and architect known for his work on the Cathedral of Burgos.
3. Gil González Dávila (1570-1658), a Spanish historian and author of the influential work "Teatro Eclesiástico de las Iglesias Metropolitanas y Catedrales de los Reinos de las Dos Castillas."
4. Gil Eannes (c. 1235-1325), a Portuguese navigator and explorer credited with discovering the Canary Islands in the 14th century.
5. Gil Puyat (1880-1966), a Filipino lawyer, politician, and diplomat who served as a Senator and Secretary of Foreign Affairs.
While the surname GIL has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Spanish and Portuguese colonization and migration. However, its historical significance remains deeply rooted in the cultural and linguistic heritage of Spain and Portugal.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gil
Among Census respondents with the surname Gil, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.7%. The next largest groups are White (9.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gil 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 Gil surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino86.7% · 23,428
- White9.8% · 2,654
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 547
- Black or African American0.9% · 238
- Two or more races0.4% · 110
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 49
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gil
Gil 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
#1,353
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,112
+6,709 bearers (+34.6%)
Per 100,000 8.85
Rank movement Up 338 places
2020
#1,274
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,026
+914 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 9.04
Rank movement Up 79 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,691 | 19,403 | 7.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,353 | 26,112 | 8.85 | +6,709 bearers (+34.6%) | Up 338 places |
| 2020 | #1,274 | 27,026 | 9.04 | +914 bearers (+3.5%) | Up 79 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 Gil 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 | #1,353 | #1,274 | 5.8% |
| Count | 26,112 | 27,026 | 3.5% |
| Per 100K | 8.85 | 9.04 | 2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gil bearers went from 26,112 to 27,026 (+3.5% change). The surname moved up 79 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,353 to #1,274.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gil
FAQ
Gil surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gil?
Name Census estimates that about 30,991 living Americans carry the surname Gil. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,060 residents.
How common is Gil?
Gil ranks #1,274 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 27,026 people with the surname Gil. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (30,991), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Gil.
Has Gil become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gil went from 26,112 recorded bearers to 27,026. That is an increase of 914 (+3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,353 to #1,274.
What does the Census say about the background of Gil?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gil, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 86.7%. The next largest groups are White (9.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gil in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (23,428 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gil appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (86.7%), White (9.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Gil (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 Gil mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the given name Gil, which is a shortened form of Egidio, meaning "shield" or "protection." 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 Gil (9.04 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 Americans have the surname Gil?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.