UK surname
Variant form of the Scottish surname Gillespie, meaning "servant of the bishop."
In the 1881 census there were 86 people recorded with the Gillespy surname, ranking it #21,449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 24, ranked #36,392, down from #21,449 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Stapleton, Jarrow and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gillespy is 101 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 72.1%.
1881 census count
86
Ranked #21,449
Modern count
24
2016, ranked #36,392
Peak year
1861
101 bearers
Map years
1
1861 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Gillespy surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Gillespy surname density by area, 1861 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 | 88 | #18,569 |
| 1861 | historical | 101 | #20,955 |
| 1881 | historical | 86 | #21,449 |
| 1891 | historical | 89 | #25,542 |
| 1901 | historical | 76 | #25,734 |
| 1911 | historical | 75 | #25,322 |
| 1997 | modern | 21 | #35,692 |
| 1998 | modern | 21 | #35,788 |
| 1999 | modern | 23 | #35,612 |
| 2000 | modern | 29 | #34,976 |
| 2001 | modern | 27 | #35,041 |
| 2002 | modern | 26 | #35,338 |
| 2003 | modern | 21 | #35,825 |
| 2004 | modern | 22 | #35,878 |
| 2005 | modern | 22 | #35,993 |
| 2006 | modern | 22 | #36,105 |
| 2007 | modern | 24 | #36,072 |
| 2008 | modern | 23 | #36,211 |
| 2009 | modern | 22 | #36,394 |
| 2010 | modern | 18 | #36,774 |
| 2011 | modern | 21 | #36,502 |
| 2012 | modern | 24 | #36,288 |
| 2013 | modern | 24 | #36,344 |
| 2014 | modern | 25 | #36,314 |
| 2015 | modern | 25 | #36,297 |
| 2016 | modern | 24 | #36,392 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Stapleton, Jarrow, St Pancras, Gateshead and Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon). 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 | Stapleton | Cumberland |
| 2 | Jarrow | Durham |
| 3 | St Pancras | London (North Districts) |
| 4 | Gateshead | Durham |
| 5 | Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) | Northumberland |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Gillespy 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 Gillespy, 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 Gillespy surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Gillespy 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, Gillespy 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 Gillespy is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Gillespy, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Gillespy is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Gille Easbaig," meaning "the servant of the bishop." This name was commonly given to those who worked in service to a bishop or within the church during the medieval period in Scotland.
The name is believed to have originated in the Highlands of Scotland, particularly in the areas of Argyll, Inverness-shire, and Perthshire, where the name was prevalent in the 12th and 13th centuries. Early records show various spellings such as Gillespie, Gillespy, Gillespie, and Gillespy.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which date back to the 13th century. In these records, a certain "Gillespie MacNachtan" is mentioned as a landowner in Argyll in the year 1264.
The Gillespy name also appears in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of documents recording the nobles and landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England in the late 13th century. Among those listed is a "Gilbert Gillespie" from Ayrshire, Scotland.
In the 14th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir John Gillespie, a Scottish knight who fought alongside King Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Sir John Gillespie played a significant role in the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, where the Scottish forces defeated the English army.
Another prominent figure with this surname was James Gillespie (1645-1723), a Scottish merchant and philanthropist who founded Gillespie's Hospital, a school for the education of poor children in Edinburgh.
In the realm of literature, one of the most famous bearers of the Gillespy name was James Gillespie Smyth (1737-1806), a Scottish minister and philosopher who wrote extensively on moral philosophy and ethics.
Other notable individuals with the Gillespy surname include Sir Robert Gillespie (1766-1814), a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars, and Eliza Maria Gillespie (1824-1888), a Scottish-born writer and journalist who wrote extensively about her travels in South America.
Throughout its history, the Gillespy name has maintained a strong connection to its Scottish roots, with many bearers of the name tracing their ancestry back to the Highlands and the ancient Gaelic tradition.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gillespy 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. Middlesex leads with 18 Gillespys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.15x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 18 | 2.15x |
| Durham | 15 | 6.01x |
| Lancashire | 14 | 1.41x |
| Cumberland | 13 | 18.00x |
| Surrey | 12 | 2.94x |
| Yorkshire | 5 | 0.60x |
| Northumberland | 4 | 3.21x |
| Sussex | 3 | 2.12x |
| Berkshire | 1 | 1.59x |
| Somerset | 1 | 0.74x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Penge in Surrey leads with 12 Gillespys recorded in 1881 and an index of 223.88x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Penge | 12 | 223.88x |
| Brampton | 8 | 808.08x |
| St Marylebone London | 8 | 17.87x |
| Burnley | 7 | 83.53x |
| Great Bolton | 6 | 45.52x |
| Heworth | 6 | 121.95x |
| Kensington London | 6 | 12.87x |
| Solport | 5 | 7142.86x |
| Holy Trinity | 4 | 20.01x |
| Westoe | 4 | 28.27x |
| Clerkenwell London | 3 | 15.15x |
| Hastings St Andrew | 3 | 588.24x |
| Byker | 2 | 32.41x |
| Chirton | 2 | 70.92x |
| Southwick | 2 | 84.75x |
| Bishopwearmouth | 1 | 4.67x |
| Darlington | 1 | 10.38x |
| Hedworth Monkton Jarrow | 1 | 9.25x |
| Nether Stowey | 1 | 476.19x |
| Reading St Giles | 1 | 16.18x |
| Southcoates | 1 | 21.69x |
| St Pancras London | 1 | 1.48x |
| Wavertree | 1 | 31.35x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Gillespy 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 Gillespy 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 Gillespy households.
FAQ
In 1881, 86 people were recorded with the Gillespy surname. That placed it at #21,449 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 24 in 2016. That gives Gillespy a modern rank of #36,392.
Variant form of the Scottish surname Gillespie, meaning "servant of the bishop."
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Gillespy 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.