UK surname
A Scottish surname derived from the given name Gille Easbain, meaning "servant of the Bishop".
In the 1881 census there were 100 people recorded with the Gilespie surname, ranking it #19,750 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 13, ranked #37,278, down from #19,750 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Kirkintilloch, Denny and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gilespie is 211 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 87.0%.
1881 census count
100
Ranked #19,750
Modern count
13
2016, ranked #37,278
Peak year
1851
211 bearers
Map years
3
1851 to 1881
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Gilespie surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Gilespie surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.
| Year | Period | Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1851 | historical | 211 | #9,997 |
| 1861 | historical | 184 | #12,856 |
| 1881 | historical | 100 | #19,750 |
| 1891 | historical | 52 | #30,061 |
| 1901 | historical | 51 | #28,492 |
| 1911 | historical | 23 | #30,923 |
| 1997 | modern | 18 | #36,053 |
| 1998 | modern | 18 | #36,135 |
| 1999 | modern | 17 | #36,261 |
| 2000 | modern | 12 | #36,749 |
| 2001 | modern | 6 | #37,456 |
| 2002 | modern | 7 | #37,379 |
| 2003 | modern | 12 | #36,715 |
| 2004 | modern | 11 | #36,969 |
| 2005 | modern | 12 | #36,936 |
| 2006 | modern | 15 | #36,707 |
| 2007 | modern | 15 | #36,793 |
| 2008 | modern | 15 | #36,843 |
| 2009 | modern | 21 | #36,470 |
| 2010 | modern | 20 | #36,599 |
| 2011 | modern | 16 | #36,932 |
| 2012 | modern | 13 | #37,169 |
| 2013 | modern | 11 | #37,435 |
| 2014 | modern | 13 | #37,256 |
| 2015 | modern | 11 | #37,467 |
| 2016 | modern | 13 | #37,278 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Kirkintilloch, Denny, Edinburgh, Manchester and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kirkintilloch | Dunbarton |
| 2 | Denny | Stirling |
| 3 | Edinburgh | Edinburgh |
| 4 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 5 | Glasgow | Lanark |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Gilespie surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gilespie, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.
These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.
The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.
UK neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Gilespie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Gilespie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Gilespie is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gilespie is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Gilespie, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Gilespie originated in Scotland during the late Middle Ages. It is a variant spelling of the more common Scottish surname Gillespie, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Gilleasbuig". This name is composed of two elements: "gille" meaning "servant" or "lad", and "easbuig" meaning "bishop".
Gilespie is therefore thought to have been an occupational surname, initially referring to someone who served or worked for a bishop. The earliest recorded instances of the name are found in Scottish records and charters from the 13th and 14th centuries, where it appears spelled variously as Gillespec, Gilaspie, Gilaspie, and Gillespie.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir John Gillespie, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. Another notable early Gilespie was Walter Gillespy, a prominent merchant in Aberdeen in the late 15th century.
The Gilespie surname has been associated with several places in Scotland, including the lands of Gilespie in the county of Fife, and the village of Gilespie in East Lothian. Some of the oldest surviving records mentioning the name come from these areas.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, many Gilespies were involved in the religious and political upheavals that swept across Scotland, with some supporting the Protestant Reformation and others remaining loyal to the Catholic Church. One notable figure from this era was John Gilespie, a Presbyterian minister who was executed for his part in the Monmouth Rebellion against King James VII in 1685.
Other historical figures with the Gilespie surname include Thomas Gilespie (1708-1774), a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister and principal founder of the Relief Church; James Gilespie (1736-1805), a Scottish-American merchant and planter in Virginia; and George Gilespie (1683-1737), a Scottish scholar and theologian who wrote extensively in defense of Presbyterianism.
As the centuries passed, bearers of the Gilespie name could be found throughout Scotland and, later, in many parts of the English-speaking world, particularly North America and Australia, following the patterns of Scottish emigration and settlement.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gilespie surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 13 Gilespies recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.38x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lanarkshire | 13 | 4.38x |
| Renfrewshire | 12 | 16.89x |
| Durham | 10 | 3.67x |
| Lancashire | 10 | 0.92x |
| Aberdeenshire | 9 | 10.60x |
| Dunbartonshire | 7 | 28.41x |
| Argyllshire | 6 | 23.51x |
| Ayrshire | 5 | 7.29x |
| Stirlingshire | 5 | 14.79x |
| Cumberland | 3 | 3.80x |
| Wigtownshire | 3 | 24.65x |
| Midlothian | 2 | 1.63x |
| Angus | 1 | 1.18x |
| Dumfriesshire | 1 | 4.94x |
| Herefordshire | 1 | 2.66x |
| Kirkcudbrightshire | 1 | 7.54x |
| Northumberland | 1 | 0.73x |
| Oxfordshire | 1 | 1.77x |
| Peeblesshire | 1 | 23.20x |
| Perthshire | 1 | 2.43x |
| West Lothian | 1 | 7.24x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 7 Gilespies recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.33x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Barony | 7 | 9.33x |
| Burnley | 6 | 65.50x |
| Peterculter | 6 | 1000.00x |
| Ryhope | 6 | 317.46x |
| West Greenock | 5 | 39.22x |
| Ardnamurchan | 4 | 310.08x |
| Cambuslang | 4 | 133.78x |
| Dundonald | 4 | 158.10x |
| Kirkintilloch | 4 | 119.40x |
| St Ninians | 4 | 119.40x |
| Bewcastle | 3 | 1071.43x |
| Bonhill | 3 | 75.95x |
| Neilston | 3 | 84.03x |
| Abbey | 2 | 18.45x |
| Spotland | 2 | 16.54x |
| Stranraer | 2 | 180.18x |
| Aberdeen St Nicholas | 1 | 6.30x |
| Benfieldside | 1 | 55.87x |
| Bishopwearmouth | 1 | 4.27x |
| Bothwell | 1 | 12.44x |
| Bowmore | 1 | 169.49x |
| Colinton | 1 | 72.99x |
| Dalserf | 1 | 33.78x |
| Edinburgh St Marys | 1 | 41.84x |
| Hartlepool | 1 | 25.77x |
| Heaton Norris | 1 | 16.16x |
| Hedworth Monkton Jarrow | 1 | 8.47x |
| Irongray | 1 | 400.00x |
| Kilchoman | 1 | 125.00x |
| Larbert | 1 | 49.51x |
| Liverpool | 1 | 1.51x |
| Monifieth | 1 | 33.33x |
| Morpeth | 1 | 62.50x |
| New Deer | 1 | 64.94x |
| Oxford St Giles | 1 | 37.04x |
| Paisley High Church | 1 | 17.67x |
| Perth Middle Church | 1 | 64.52x |
| Peterhead | 1 | 22.27x |
| Port Glasgow | 1 | 29.15x |
| Portpatrick | 1 | 243.90x |
| Ruthwell | 1 | 370.37x |
| St Quivox | 1 | 43.10x |
| West Linton | 1 | 285.71x |
| Whitburn | 1 | 50.25x |
| Withington | 1 | 400.00x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Gilespie surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Gilespie surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Gilespie households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 6 |
| Cotton Operative | 2 |
| Annuiant | 1 |
| Charwoman | 1 |
| Coal Miner | 1 |
| Cotton Weaver | 1 |
| Farmer Of 48 Acres | 1 |
| Farmers Son | 1 |
| Farmers Wife | 1 |
| Gen Dom Servt | 1 |
| Groom (N D) | 1 |
| Labourer Water Works (Serv) | 1 |
| Puddler | 1 |
| Ships Plater | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 100 people were recorded with the Gilespie surname. That placed it at #19,750 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 13 in 2016. That gives Gilespie a modern rank of #37,278.
A Scottish surname derived from the given name Gille Easbain, meaning "servant of the Bishop".
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Gilespie bearers relative to the surrounding population.
The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.