Origins of the Gill surname

What does the name Gill mean?

The Gill surname is English in origin, with Anglo-Norman roots. The name is a patronymic, and refers to those who were the son or descendant of a person named 'Gill' or 'Jill', both diminutive forms of the popular given name 'Guillaume' or 'William'. It is particularly prevalent in West Yorkshire.

Alternative variations of the name Gill

Gill, Gil, McGill, Geill, Gille

Start free trial
“
I’ve managed to trace back to the mid-1500s! I can’t believe it! Utterly engrossing and I have uncovered some quite moving and heartbreaking stories attached to various ancestors. You don’t need any qualifications to start - just time patience, and some information.
SS
Stuart
1 of 3

Start your family tree

Trace your family back in time. Make new discoveries and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Gills.

Sign up to get started

Delve deeper into the Gill family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 1524North West 573Isle of Man 165Yorkshire 6567East Midlands 710West Midlands 952East 696London 3963South East 1196South West 1101South Wales 131Mid Wales 10West Wales 18North Wales 57Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Gills lived in yorkshire

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

48,000 Gill Travel & migration records
210,000 Gills found in all Census records

Interesting facts about Gill

How common is your surname?

157th most common surname in the UK

We have for the Gill surname. The oldest one dates back to 1264.

Who were Gills most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Gills.

What are the most common Gill first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of Gill family members
Man with milk churns and census card collage
Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Gills

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Commmon female occupations for Gills in 1921

Dressmaker

953

Laundress

491

Domestic Servant

483

General Servant Domestic

454

House Servant

447

Commmon male occupations for Gills in 1921

Coal Miner

827

Farmer

734

Agricultural Labourer

714

General Labourer

689

Carpenter

512

We found over 330,000 family trees with the Gill surname

Trace your family back in time and see what other Findmypast family historians in our genealogy community have discovered about the Gills.

Search for a relative in our family trees

Learn more about the lives of Gill family members

How rare is your surname?

Have you ever wondered if your family na...

The rise and fall of these disappearing British surnames

Could your surname be on the brink of di...

English surnames explained: The seven types of last names you should know

Ever wondered where our last names come...

How to find the maiden names of women in your family tree

Try these simple tricks to pinpoint your...

4 simple steps to starting your family history journey

Starting your family history journey is...

Share your discoveries

Share to WhatsApp

Share to Facebook

Look for a different surname

Paper tear line

Find out more about your family in our records

    or try an advanced search