2000
#39,111
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 530
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.20
Very Rare Last name
Gilchrest
A habitational name from a location likely derived from a Scottish Gaelic form meaning "follower of Christ."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 763 Americans carry the last name Gilchrest. That puts it at #36,244 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 449,219 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gilchrest 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
763
1 in 449,219
Census rank
#36,244
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
665
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 665 bearers of the surname Gilchrest in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 36244th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilchrest, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.8%. The next largest groups are Black (14.4%) and Two or More Races (6.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gilchrest
The surname Gilchrest has its origin in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "gille" meaning servant and "crìosd" meaning Christ, essentially translating to "servant of Christ." The name was initially borne by followers of the church or those in religious orders.
In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared as Gilcrist or Gilchrist, with various spellings such as Gilkrist, Gilcree, and Gilcrie. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling during that era. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical record of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.
The Gilchrest surname has a strong association with the Highlands of Scotland, particularly in the regions of Perthshire and Angus. Interestingly, a place called Gilchristland existed in the parish of Arbuthnott, Kincardineshire, which may have derived its name from an early bearer of the surname.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named John Gilchrest (c. 1510-1582) was a Scottish Catholic priest and author who wrote against the Reformation. Another early bearer of the name was Sir John Gilchrist (c. 1600-1670), a Scottish landowner and supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.
The Gilchrest surname also found its way to Ireland, where it was anglicized to Gilchrist. One of the most prominent Irish figures with this name was Ebenezer Gilchrist (1707-1786), a Presbyterian minister and early advocate for Irish independence.
In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the Gilchrest surname was John Borthwick Gilchrist (1759-1841), a Scottish orientalist and linguist who made significant contributions to the study of Indian languages and literature. Another individual of note was Charles Gilchrest (1812-1883), a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh.
Throughout history, the Gilchrest surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including clergymen, landowners, scholars, and architects, reflecting its Scottish heritage and the diverse paths taken by its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gilchrest
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilchrest, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.8%. The next largest groups are Black (14.4%) and Two or More Races (6.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Gilchrest 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 Gilchrest surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.8% · 491
- Black or African American14.4% · 96
- Two or more races6.3% · 42
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gilchrest
Gilchrest 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
#49,177
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 428
-102 bearers (-19.2%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 10,066 places
2020
#36,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 665
+237 bearers (+55.4%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Up 12,933 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #39,111 | 530 | 0.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #49,177 | 428 | 0.15 | -102 bearers (-19.2%) | Down 10,066 places |
| 2020 | #36,244 | 665 | 0.22 | +237 bearers (+55.4%) | Up 12,933 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 Gilchrest 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 | #49,177 | #36,244 | 26.3% |
| Count | 428 | 665 | 55.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.22 | 48.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gilchrest bearers went from 428 to 665 (+55.4% change). The surname moved up 12,933 positions in the national ranking, going from #49,177 to #36,244.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gilchrest
FAQ
Gilchrest surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gilchrest?
Name Census estimates that about 763 living Americans carry the surname Gilchrest. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 449,219 residents.
How common is Gilchrest?
Gilchrest ranks #36,244 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 665 people with the surname Gilchrest. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (763), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Gilchrest.
Has Gilchrest become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gilchrest went from 428 recorded bearers to 665. That is an increase of 237 (+55.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #49,177 to #36,244.
What does the Census say about the background of Gilchrest?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gilchrest, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.8%. The next largest groups are Black (14.4%) and Two or More Races (6.3%). 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 Gilchrest in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.8% (491 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gilchrest appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.8%), Black (14.4%), Two or More Races (6.3%). 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 Gilchrest (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 Gilchrest mean?
A habitational name from a location likely derived from a Scottish Gaelic form meaning "follower of Christ." 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 Gilchrest (0.22 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 Gilchrest?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Gilchrest, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.