NameCensus.

UK surname

Gillanders

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic personal name Gille Anndra, meaning "servant of Andrew".

In the 1881 census there were 394 people recorded with the Gillanders surname, ranking it #8,055 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 420, ranked #11,414, down from #8,055 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Applecross and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Devon, Cheltenham and Wrexham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gillanders is 478 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6.6%.

1881 census count

394

Ranked #8,055

Modern count

420

2016, ranked #11,414

Peak year

1901

478 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gillanders had 394 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,055 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 420 in 2016, ranked #11,414.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 478 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Gillanders surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gillanders surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gillanders 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 285 #7,952
1861 historical 310 #8,175
1881 historical 394 #8,055
1891 historical 440 #8,216
1901 historical 478 #8,329
1911 historical 80 #24,821
1997 modern 436 #10,327
1998 modern 436 #10,663
1999 modern 444 #10,555
2000 modern 441 #10,611
2001 modern 420 #10,811
2002 modern 429 #10,858
2003 modern 425 #10,765
2004 modern 416 #10,963
2005 modern 436 #10,457
2006 modern 426 #10,712
2007 modern 434 #10,639
2008 modern 424 #10,952
2009 modern 424 #11,179
2010 modern 422 #11,493
2011 modern 409 #11,663
2012 modern 388 #11,996
2013 modern 404 #11,833
2014 modern 419 #11,592
2015 modern 421 #11,435
2016 modern 420 #11,414

Geography

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Where Gillanders' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Applecross, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Old Machar and Glenmuick, Tullich and Glengairn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Devon, Cheltenham, Wrexham, Fort William North and Cruden. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Applecross Ross And Cromarty
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Aberdeen and Old Machar Aberdeen
5 Glenmuick, Tullich and Glengairn Aberdeen

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Devon 013 North Devon
2 Cheltenham 002 Cheltenham
3 Wrexham 012 Wrexham
4 Fort William North Highland
5 Cruden Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gillanders

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gillanders

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Gillanders surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Gillanders household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gillanders 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

Gillanders is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gillanders 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 Gillanders is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Gillanders

The surname Gillanders has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic words "gil" meaning bright or white, and "ander" meaning a man's name. The name may have been given to someone with fair hair or complexion.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in parish records from the Scottish counties of Perthshire and Angus. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Gillanders, who was born in the village of Longforgan, Perthshire, in 1587.

The name Gillanders is closely associated with the region of Strathmore, which spans parts of Perthshire and Angus. It is believed that the name may have originated from a place name or landholding in this area, although the exact location is uncertain.

In the 17th century, the Gillanders family became prominent landowners in the parish of Longforgan. In 1684, Robert Gillanders was recorded as the laird (lord) of the estate of Haugh of Kercock in Longforgan.

One notable bearer of the name was Alexander Gillanders, a Scottish merchant and ship owner who lived from 1768 to 1834. He made his fortune in the East India trade and was involved in the establishment of the first Scottish settlement in British Guiana (now Guyana).

Another distinguished individual with the Gillanders surname was John Gillanders (1801-1865), a Scottish-Canadian businessman and politician. He was a member of the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada and played a significant role in the development of the timber trade between Canada and the United Kingdom.

In the 19th century, members of the Gillanders family emigrated from Scotland to various parts of the British Empire, including India, Australia, and New Zealand. James Gillanders (1820-1878) was a notable figure in the Scottish community in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India, where he was a successful merchant and philanthropist.

Throughout history, the Gillanders surname has been spelled in various ways, including Gillander, Gillandres, and Gilanders. While the name is most commonly associated with Scotland, it has also been found in other parts of the United Kingdom and in countries with Scottish diaspora communities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gillanders families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gillanders 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. Aberdeenshire leads with 122 Gillanders' recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.27x.

County Total Index
Aberdeenshire 122 34.27x
Ross-shire 108 102.33x
Inverness-shire 33 28.75x
Kincardineshire 28 59.83x
Angus 19 5.34x
Lanarkshire 18 1.45x
Lancashire 17 0.37x
Nairnshire 13 110.83x
Midlothian 8 1.55x
Sutherland 7 23.69x
Sussex 5 0.77x
Morayshire 4 6.70x
Renfrewshire 3 1.01x
Gloucestershire 2 0.27x
Yorkshire 2 0.05x
Ayrshire 1 0.35x
Caithness 1 1.90x
Hampshire 1 0.13x
Stirlingshire 1 0.71x
Surrey 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aberdeen St Nicholas in Aberdeenshire leads with 51 Gillanders' recorded in 1881 and an index of 76.58x.

Place Total Index
Aberdeen St Nicholas 51 76.58x
Applecross 46 1548.82x
Aberdeen Old Machar 29 39.02x
Contin 20 1041.67x
Inverness 18 62.35x
Dundee 13 9.78x
Govan 13 4.23x
Banchory Devenick 9 205.95x
Towie 9 900.00x
Auldearn 7 409.36x
Banchory Ternan 7 172.84x
Knockbain 7 283.40x
Lairg 7 388.89x
Liverpool 7 2.53x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 2.90x
Fyvie 6 103.27x
Kincardine O Neil 6 236.22x
Nairn 6 84.27x
Newton 6 17.07x
Barony 5 1.59x
Fodderty 5 187.27x
Harris 5 86.66x
Peterculter 5 199.20x
Preston 5 44.17x
Rosemarkie 5 434.78x
Everton 4 2.75x
Kinneff Catterline 4 303.03x
St Vigeans 4 20.81x
Stornoway 4 29.07x
Tarland 4 259.74x
Turriff 4 69.57x
Aboyne 3 159.57x
Dunnottar 3 91.19x
Echt 3 175.44x
Kiltearn 3 192.31x
Kirkhill 3 153.85x
Nigg 3 227.27x
Portree 3 70.59x
Tarbat 3 120.48x
West Greenock 3 5.61x
Bradford 2 2.17x
Dingwall 2 67.34x
Forfar 2 10.37x
Forres 2 31.85x
Glenbervie 2 156.25x
Killearnan 2 143.88x
Kilmorack 2 57.47x
Lochalsh 2 73.80x
Lochcarron 2 104.17x
Logie Wester 2 105.26x
Alverstoke 1 3.51x
Ardrossan New 1 1000.00x
Berkeley 1 23.87x
Birse 1 69.44x
Croy Dalcross 1 44.05x
Denny 1 13.26x
Duffus 1 19.01x
Durris 1 74.63x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 9.35x
Elgin 1 8.61x
Fordoun 1 38.17x
Gairloch 1 16.45x
Kingussie Insh 1 38.02x
Lambeth 1 0.30x
Leckhampton 1 21.55x
North Leith 1 4.20x
St Nicholas 1 454.55x
Strachan 1 109.89x
Tain 1 25.00x
Wick 1 5.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
Adaline 1
Annie 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Jessie 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
Alexander 4
Alex.Thom. 1
C. 1
Frank 1
George 1
Lewis 1
Robert 1
Roderick 1
Thomas 1
William 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 Gillanders households.

FAQ

Gillanders surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gillanders surname in 1881?

In 1881, 394 people were recorded with the Gillanders surname. That placed it at #8,055 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gillanders surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 420 in 2016. That gives Gillanders a modern rank of #11,414.

What does the Gillanders surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic personal name Gille Anndra, meaning "servant of Andrew".

What does the Gillanders map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Gillanders 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.