2000
#1,786
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,438
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.83
Uncommon Last name
Gillis
Derived from the Irish Gaelic surname Mac Gille Íosa, meaning "son of the servant of Jesus."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 20,148 Americans carry the last name Gillis. That puts it at #2,014 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,012 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gillis 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 Gillis with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
20K
1 in 17,012
Census rank
#2,014
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,570 bearers of the surname Gillis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2014th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gillis, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Black (15.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gillis
The surname Gillis has its origins in Scotland, derived from the Scottish Gaelic personal name "Gille Iosa" meaning "servant of Jesus." It is believed to have emerged in the 13th century, particularly in the regions of Argyllshire and the Hebrides islands.
In early records, the name appeared with various spellings, such as Gillies, Gillise, and Gilleis, reflecting the phonetic nature of its Gaelic roots. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the year 1264, where a man named Gilleis is mentioned.
During the 16th century, the Gillis surname gained prominence in the Clan Maclean, a prominent Scottish clan based on the Isle of Mull. Several notable individuals from this clan bore the surname, including Gillis Maclean, who was recorded as a Chief of the Clan Maclean in the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the Gillis surname began to spread beyond Scotland as individuals migrated to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the Americas. One notable figure was John Gillis (1662-1736), a Scottish-born poet and schoolmaster who settled in New England and became known for his poetic works.
Another significant figure was Archibald Gillis (1722-1796), a Scottish-born merchant and shipowner who played a crucial role in the maritime trade between Scotland and the American colonies. He later settled in Philadelphia and became a prominent member of the city's mercantile community.
In the 19th century, the Gillis surname gained further recognition with individuals like Daniel Gillis (1825-1880), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Canadian Parliament and played a role in the confederation negotiations.
John Gillis (1803-1868) was a Scottish-born journalist and author who emigrated to Canada and became known for his works on Canadian history and his advocacy for responsible government.
As the surname spread across different regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Gilley, Gilly, and Gillies, reflecting local dialects and pronunciations. However, the core origin of the name remained rooted in its Scottish Gaelic heritage and association with the Clan Maclean.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gillis
Among Census respondents with the surname Gillis, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Black (15.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gillis 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 Gillis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.0% · 13,361
- Black or African American15.6% · 2,749
- Two or more races3.6% · 640
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 549
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 171
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 100
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gillis
Gillis 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
#1,910
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,834
+396 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 6.38
Rank movement Down 124 places
2020
#2,014
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,570
-1,264 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 5.88
Rank movement Down 104 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,786 | 18,438 | 6.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,910 | 18,834 | 6.38 | +396 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 124 places |
| 2020 | #2,014 | 17,570 | 5.88 | -1,264 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 104 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 Gillis 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 | #1,910 | #2,014 | -5.4% |
| Count | 18,834 | 17,570 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 6.38 | 5.88 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gillis bearers went from 18,834 to 17,570 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 104 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,910 to #2,014.
FAQ
Gillis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gillis?
Name Census estimates that about 20,148 living Americans carry the surname Gillis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 17,012 residents.
How common is Gillis?
Gillis ranks #2,014 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,570 people with the surname Gillis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (20,148), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Gillis.
Has Gillis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gillis went from 18,834 recorded bearers to 17,570. That is a decrease of 1,264 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,910 to #2,014.
What does the Census say about the background of Gillis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gillis, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.0%. The next largest groups are Black (15.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Gillis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.0% (13,361 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gillis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.0%), Black (15.6%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Gillis (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 Gillis mean?
Derived from the Irish Gaelic surname Mac Gille Íosa, meaning "son of the servant of Jesus." 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 Gillis (5.88 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 have the surname Gillis?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.