NameCensus.

UK surname

Gillett

A Norman French habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "little pledge" or "little hostage."

In the 1881 census there were 3,156 people recorded with the Gillett surname, ranking it #1,425 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,172, ranked #1,625, down from #1,425 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Hadham, Little. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fylde, East Cambridgeshire and Bridgend.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gillett is 4,808 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.2%.

1881 census count

3,156

Ranked #1,425

Modern count

4,172

2016, ranked #1,625

Peak year

1911

4,808 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gillett had 3,156 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,425 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,172 in 2016, ranked #1,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,808 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gillett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gillett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gillett 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 2,129 #1,368
1861 historical 1,827 #1,585
1881 historical 3,156 #1,425
1891 historical 3,393 #1,405
1901 historical 4,221 #1,333
1911 historical 4,808 #1,081
1997 modern 4,316 #1,513
1998 modern 4,494 #1,505
1999 modern 4,572 #1,495
2000 modern 4,514 #1,507
2001 modern 4,413 #1,505
2002 modern 4,459 #1,516
2003 modern 4,318 #1,528
2004 modern 4,311 #1,534
2005 modern 4,212 #1,547
2006 modern 4,197 #1,556
2007 modern 4,200 #1,567
2008 modern 4,187 #1,586
2009 modern 4,254 #1,600
2010 modern 4,314 #1,611
2011 modern 4,274 #1,604
2012 modern 4,177 #1,607
2013 modern 4,261 #1,608
2014 modern 4,253 #1,620
2015 modern 4,205 #1,622
2016 modern 4,172 #1,625

Geography

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Where Gilletts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Hadham, Little and Lytham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fylde, East Cambridgeshire and Bridgend. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Hadham, Little Hertfordshire
5 Lytham Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fylde 002 Fylde
2 East Cambridgeshire 001 East Cambridgeshire
3 Bridgend 003 Bridgend
4 East Cambridgeshire 003 East Cambridgeshire
5 East Cambridgeshire 006 East Cambridgeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gillett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gillett

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Gillett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Gillett household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Gillett is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gillett is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gillett falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gillett 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 Gillett, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Gillett

The surname Gillett is of English origin, originating from the medieval given name Giles, derived from the Old French name Gilles, which in turn came from the Greek name Aegidius. The name Aegidius itself is of uncertain etymology but may be connected to the Greek word for a young goat.

The name Giles was introduced to England by Norman settlers after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It became a popular name, particularly among the lower classes, and over time evolved into various surnames, including Giles, Gyll, Gill, and Gillett.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Gillett can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1176, which mention a Gillebertus Gillet. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also include references to individuals with the surname Gillett in various counties, such as Robert Gillet in Oxfordshire and William Gillet in Buckinghamshire.

The surname Gillett is believed to have originated in the regions of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire, where it was particularly prevalent during the medieval period. It may have been derived from place names like Gillettes in Gloucestershire or Gilletts in Oxfordshire, though the exact connection is uncertain.

Notable individuals with the surname Gillett throughout history include:

1. John Gillett (c. 1565-1623), an English clergyman and the first President of Harvard College. 2. Philip Gillette (1611-1675), one of the founders of Milford, Connecticut, and a prominent figure in the early history of the colony. 3. William Gillett (1794-1871), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Panopticon of Science and Art. 4. Jonathan Gillett (1804-1863), an American politician who served as the 20th Governor of New Hampshire from 1863 to 1865. 5. Ezra Hall Gillett (1823-1875), an American businessman and politician who served as the 21st Governor of Wisconsin from 1873 to 1875.

The surname Gillett has been found in various historical records, including parish registers, tax rolls, and census records, spanning several centuries. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has since spread across the English-speaking world, with notable individuals bearing this surname contributing to various fields throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gillett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gillett 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. Middlesex leads with 509 Gilletts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.65x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 509 1.65x
Lancashire 497 1.36x
Gloucestershire 273 4.51x
Surrey 192 1.28x
Somerset 182 3.67x
Kent 176 1.67x
Oxfordshire 164 8.61x
Hertfordshire 133 6.26x
Yorkshire 105 0.34x
Warwickshire 98 1.26x
Sussex 94 1.81x
Dorset 79 3.90x
Hampshire 70 1.11x
Bedfordshire 64 4.01x
Wiltshire 50 1.83x
Northamptonshire 48 1.65x
Cheshire 44 0.65x
Essex 42 0.69x
Worcestershire 41 1.02x
Berkshire 38 1.64x
Cambridgeshire 35 1.79x
Norfolk 33 0.70x
Herefordshire 25 1.98x
Devon 22 0.34x
Buckinghamshire 20 1.07x
Monmouthshire 18 0.81x
Glamorgan 16 0.30x
Lincolnshire 16 0.32x
Cornwall 14 0.40x
Leicestershire 12 0.35x
Nottinghamshire 10 0.24x
Staffordshire 9 0.09x
Brecknockshire 8 1.30x
Derbyshire 7 0.15x
Huntingdonshire 5 0.82x
Cumberland 3 0.11x
Durham 3 0.03x
Royal Navy 2 0.54x
Suffolk 2 0.05x
Channel Islands 1 0.11x
Northumberland 1 0.02x
Shropshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chorley in Lancashire leads with 102 Gilletts recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.66x.

Place Total Index
Chorley 102 49.66x
Little Hadham 70 776.91x
Lytham 57 102.00x
St Marylebone London 57 3.46x
Preston 55 5.62x
Medlar With Wesham 44 400.73x
Lambeth 39 1.45x
Moreton In Marsh 39 257.43x
Bethnal Green London 37 2.76x
Cheltenham 36 7.71x
Islington London 34 1.14x
Blackburn 33 3.39x
Chelsea London 31 3.34x
Brighton 29 2.76x
Clapham 29 7.52x
Kensington London 28 1.63x
Kempston 26 71.70x
Camberwell 24 1.22x
Neithrop 24 37.49x
Toxteth Park 23 1.86x
Bedminster 22 4.72x
Kingham 22 336.91x
Shoreditch London 22 1.65x
Littleport 21 56.27x
Lydd 21 93.21x
St Pancras London 21 0.85x
Mile End Old Town London 20 3.05x
Croydon 18 2.16x
Old Stratford 18 40.87x
Ashwell 17 101.86x
Bampton 17 115.41x
Hackney London 17 0.98x
Houghton Conquest 17 259.15x
Tonbridge 17 4.48x
Aston 16 0.75x
Blockley 16 70.27x
Clerkenwell London 16 2.20x
Marton In Whitegate 16 217.98x
Bristol St Augustine 15 15.37x
Layton With Warbreck 15 11.17x
Urchfont 15 134.29x
Warwick St Mary 15 22.21x
Westby With Plumpton 15 265.49x
Greenwich 14 2.85x
Little Bolton 14 2.97x
Portsea 14 1.13x
Walthamstow 14 6.39x
Witney 14 43.96x
Birmingham 13 0.50x
Broxbourne 13 30.85x
Martock 13 40.27x
Somerton 13 64.13x
St Dunstan In West London 13 135.14x
Hornsey 12 3.08x
Hythe St Leonard 12 32.27x
Langport Eastover 12 167.13x
Lenham 12 57.14x
Peterborough 12 5.71x
Ratcliffe London 12 7.04x
South Stoneham 12 8.75x
Spitalfields London 12 5.17x
Tottenham 12 2.44x
Wharton 12 32.36x
Acton 11 6.08x
Charlbury 11 51.45x
Clayton Le Moors 11 15.49x
Curry Rivell 11 66.23x
Southwark St Saviour 11 6.94x
Badgeworth 10 94.25x
Brize Norton 10 123.30x
Holy Trinity 10 1.36x
Marnhull 10 67.84x
Marston Moretaine 10 80.32x
Milton Abbas 10 100.81x
Poplar London 10 1.72x
Southwark St George Martyr 10 1.61x
St Martin In Fields 10 5.42x
Warkworth 10 38.30x
Battersea 9 0.79x
Wellingborough 9 6.17x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 196
Elizabeth 130
Sarah 114
Jane 60
Ann 58
Alice 55
Ellen 50
Emma 50
Eliza 49
Emily 40
Annie 39
Margaret 30
Louisa 28
Kate 26
Maria 26
Fanny 23
Hannah 23
Lucy 23
Martha 23
Susan 22
Harriett 20
Ada 19
Caroline 19
Charlotte 19
Edith 19
Harriet 18
Clara 17
Florence 14
Catherine 12
Rose 12
Agnes 11
Elizth. 10
Gertrude 10
Anne 9
Eleanor 8
Helen 8
Julia 8
Rebecca 8
Frances 7
Ethel 6
Francis 6
Isabella 6
Mabel 6
Minnie 6
Rosa 6
Esther 5
Georgina 5
Jessie 5
Matilda 5
Rachel 5

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 198
John 169
George 122
Charles 83
James 82
Thomas 81
Henry 72
Edward 46
Joseph 45
Richard 45
Robert 37
Walter 36
Alfred 33
Frederick 31
Arthur 29
Albert 26
Samuel 22
Francis 21
Harry 20
Frank 17
Herbert 15
Ernest 11
Edwin 8
Fredk. 8
David 7
Nicholas 7
Chas. 6
Edmund 6
Fred 6
Geo. 6
Percy 6
Wm. 6
Benjamin 5
Daniel 5
Edgar 5
Frederic 5
Ambrose 4
Henery 4
Hugh 4
Jesse 4
Ralph 4
Stephen 4
Thos. 4
Earnest 3
Horace 3
Isaac 3
Job 3
Sidney 3
Spencer 3
Sydney 3

FAQ

Gillett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gillett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,156 people were recorded with the Gillett surname. That placed it at #1,425 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gillett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,172 in 2016. That gives Gillett a modern rank of #1,625.

What does the Gillett surname mean?

A Norman French habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "little pledge" or "little hostage."

What does the Gillett map show?

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