NameCensus.

UK surname

Gilhooly

An Irish surname meaning "bright-headed" or "having a fair head of hair".

In the 1881 census there were 124 people recorded with the Gilhooly surname, ranking it #17,429 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 452, ranked #10,768, up from #17,429 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dunbar, St Bees and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kinning Park and Festival Park, Portobello and North Leith and Newhaven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gilhooly is 487 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 264.5%.

1881 census count

124

Ranked #17,429

Modern count

452

2016, ranked #10,768

Peak year

1999

487 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gilhooly had 124 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,429 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 452 in 2016, ranked #10,768.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 280 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Student Living and Professional Footholds.

Gilhooly surname distribution map

The map shows where the Gilhooly surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Gilhooly surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gilhooly over time

The 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 31 #27,734
1861 historical 24 #30,922
1881 historical 124 #17,429
1891 historical 208 #14,496
1901 historical 280 #12,193
1911 historical 85 #24,322
1997 modern 432 #10,395
1998 modern 469 #10,079
1999 modern 487 #9,866
2000 modern 482 #9,901
2001 modern 461 #10,049
2002 modern 470 #10,094
2003 modern 456 #10,179
2004 modern 441 #10,474
2005 modern 452 #10,173
2006 modern 444 #10,347
2007 modern 454 #10,264
2008 modern 470 #10,102
2009 modern 478 #10,189
2010 modern 484 #10,288
2011 modern 481 #10,244
2012 modern 455 #10,574
2013 modern 475 #10,401
2014 modern 470 #10,557
2015 modern 452 #10,785
2016 modern 452 #10,768

Geography

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Where Gilhoolys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dunbar, St Bees, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kinning Park and Festival Park, Portobello, North Leith and Newhaven, Eskbank and Bromley. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Dunbar Haddington
2 St Bees Cumberland
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kinning Park and Festival Park Glasgow City
2 Portobello City of Edinburgh
3 North Leith and Newhaven City of Edinburgh
4 Eskbank Midlothian
5 Bromley 019 Bromley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gilhooly

These lists show first names that appear often with the Gilhooly surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gilhooly

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gilhooly, 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

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Student Living and Professional Footholds

Nationally, the Gilhooly surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Student Living and Professional Footholds, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Gilhooly household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

The Group includes many students, some of whom reside in communal residences. Single-person households are the most prevalent and the modal age band is 25 to 44. There are few families with dependent children. A significant number of White residents were born in EU countries (although UK-born residents are more common than in the rest of the Group), and households reflect a diversity of ethnic groups. Residential turnover is exceptionally high and, communal properties aside, flats are the norm. Some properties, including those in the private rental sector, are over-crowded. Many residents are professionals and technicians educated to degree level, and the Group is particularly common near the campuses of established university towns and cities.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gilhooly is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gilhooly is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gilhooly falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gilhooly is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Gilhooly, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Gilhooly

The surname Gilhooly is an anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Giollachóile, which originated in the early 11th century. It is derived from the personal name Giolla Chóile, composed of the elements "giolla" meaning servant or devotee, and "chóile" referring to a church or monastery.

The Gilhoolys were originally found in County Galway, particularly in the baronies of Longford and Leitrim. The earliest recorded spelling of the name dates back to the 12th century, appearing as Ó Giollachóile in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history.

In the 16th century, the name is recorded as Gillicoolie and Gillycooly in various documents from County Galway. The anglicized form Gilhooly emerged in the 17th century, as English spelling conventions became more standardized.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Tadhg Ó Giollachóile, a prominent Irish philosopher and theologian who lived in the late 12th century. He was renowned for his writings on logic and metaphysics, which influenced the development of Scholastic philosophy.

In the 15th century, Ruaidhri Ó Giollachóile was a notable Irish scribe and historian from County Galway. His works included a chronicle of the O'Kelly dynasty, which ruled parts of Connacht during the Middle Ages.

During the 16th century Irish Renaissance, Seán Ó Giollachóile was a renowned poet and author from County Galway. His works included religious poetry and historical narratives, reflecting the rich literary traditions of the Gaelic Irish.

In the 18th century, Father James Gilhooly was a prominent Catholic priest and educator in County Galway. He established several schools in the region, despite the restrictions imposed on Catholic education during the Penal Laws.

In more recent times, William Gilhooly (1866-1944) was a notable Irish-American artist and painter, known for his landscapes and portraits depicting life in New York and the American West.

The surname Gilhooly continues to be associated with its Irish roots, particularly in County Galway and among the Irish diaspora around the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gilhooly families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gilhooly surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. East Lothian leads with 41 Gilhoolys recorded in 1881 and an index of 255.93x.

County Total Index
East Lothian 41 255.93x
Midlothian 32 19.75x
Lancashire 11 0.77x
West Lothian 8 43.93x
Yorkshire 8 0.67x
Angus 6 5.35x
Selkirkshire 5 45.70x
Northumberland 3 1.67x
Cheshire 2 0.75x
Durham 2 0.56x
Kent 2 0.48x
Warwickshire 2 0.66x
Lanarkshire 1 0.26x
Worcestershire 1 0.63x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dunbar in East Lothian leads with 23 Gilhoolys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1022.22x.

Place Total Index
Dunbar 23 1022.22x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 8 714.29x
Edinburgh Old Church 8 615.38x
Uphall 8 400.00x
Cleckheaton 7 158.73x
Berwick North 6 535.71x
Edinburgh Canongate 6 145.63x
Liff Benvie 6 35.27x
Selkirk 5 162.34x
Toxteth Park 5 10.29x
Dirleton 4 634.92x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 4.60x
Edinburgh Tron Church 3 394.74x
Elswick 3 20.89x
Coventry St Michael 2 20.41x
Gillingham 2 23.50x
Haddington 2 84.75x
Kirkdale 2 8.29x
Liverpool 2 2.29x
Newbattle 2 144.93x
Tranent 2 92.59x
Tranmere 2 20.39x
Whitekirk Tynninghame 2 454.55x
Bolton 1 714.29x
Cambusnethan 1 11.51x
Coxhoe 1 98.04x
Dunkeswick 1 1428.57x
Garston 1 23.58x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 6.42x
Lasswade 1 27.03x
Northfield 1 33.33x
Prestonkirk 1 125.00x
Temple 1 156.25x
Widnes 1 9.66x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Gilhooly surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 4
Elizabeth 3
Alice 1
Francis 1
Jane 1
Jemima 1
Laura 1
Lilly 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Nelly 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Gilhooly surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
James 3
Michael 2
Samuel 2
Ephraim 1
Jeremiah 1
John 1
Joseph 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1
Thomas 1

Top occupations

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 Gilhooly households.

FAQ

Gilhooly surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gilhooly surname in 1881?

In 1881, 124 people were recorded with the Gilhooly surname. That placed it at #17,429 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gilhooly surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 452 in 2016. That gives Gilhooly a modern rank of #10,768.

What does the Gilhooly surname mean?

An Irish surname meaning "bright-headed" or "having a fair head of hair".

What does the Gilhooly map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Gilhooly bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

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.