NameCensus.

UK surname

Gilliatt

A habitational surname derived from a place name in France.

In the 1881 census there were 139 people recorded with the Gilliatt surname, ranking it #16,228 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 247, ranked #16,955, down from #16,228 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Steeping, Little, Hull Holy Trinity and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Lindsey, West Lindsey and Lincoln.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gilliatt is 283 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 77.7%.

1881 census count

139

Ranked #16,228

Modern count

247

2016, ranked #16,955

Peak year

2000

283 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gilliatt had 139 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,228 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 247 in 2016, ranked #16,955.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 231 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Gilliatt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gilliatt surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gilliatt 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 141 #13,507
1861 historical 105 #20,298
1881 historical 139 #16,228
1891 historical 200 #14,913
1901 historical 231 #13,805
1911 historical 189 #15,488
1997 modern 266 #14,658
1998 modern 275 #14,715
1999 modern 279 #14,670
2000 modern 283 #14,488
2001 modern 272 #14,654
2002 modern 250 #15,819
2003 modern 253 #15,493
2004 modern 245 #15,894
2005 modern 230 #16,583
2006 modern 225 #16,941
2007 modern 225 #17,154
2008 modern 235 #16,777
2009 modern 240 #16,896
2010 modern 247 #16,931
2011 modern 249 #16,684
2012 modern 252 #16,424
2013 modern 236 #17,472
2014 modern 237 #17,528
2015 modern 239 #17,322
2016 modern 247 #16,955

Geography

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Where Gilliatts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Steeping, Little, Hull Holy Trinity, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Boston (incl. Boston allotments) and Goxhill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Lindsey, West Lindsey, Lincoln and North East Lincolnshire. 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 Steeping, Little Lincolnshire
2 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Boston (incl. Boston allotments) Lincolnshire
5 Goxhill Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Lindsey 003 East Lindsey
2 West Lindsey 003 West Lindsey
3 Lincoln 001 Lincoln
4 North East Lincolnshire 009 North East Lincolnshire
5 North East Lincolnshire 021 North East Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gilliatt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gilliatt

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gilliatt, 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 Gilliatt surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Gilliatt 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Gilliatt is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gilliatt 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

Gilliatt falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gilliatt 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Gilliatt

The surname Gilliatt has its origins in the Channel Islands, located off the coast of France. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse name Gilli, which means "a servant" or "a youth." The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century in the parish records of St. Sampson, Guernsey.

One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname was Robert Gilliatt, who was born in St. Peter Port, Guernsey, around 1550. He was a merchant and shipowner who played a significant role in the island's maritime trade during the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the Gilliatt family established themselves as a prominent landowning family in Guernsey. Several members of the family held important positions in the island's administration and local government.

The name Gilliatt gained literary significance through the works of Victor Hugo, the renowned French novelist and poet. In his novel, "Les Travailleurs de la Mer" (Toilers of the Sea), published in 1866, the protagonist Gilliatt embarks on a perilous journey to repair a shipwrecked vessel. The novel's vivid descriptions of the Channel Islands and its people brought the region and its inhabitants, including the Gilliatt family, to the attention of a wider audience.

Another notable individual with the surname Gilliatt was Samuel Gilliatt (1786-1858), a British naval officer and explorer. He was involved in various expeditions to the Arctic regions and made significant contributions to the mapping and exploration of these areas.

In the 19th century, members of the Gilliatt family migrated from the Channel Islands to other parts of the world, including Australia, Canada, and the United States. One such individual was John Gilliatt (1822-1892), who settled in Victoria, Australia, and became a successful businessman and landowner.

While the name Gilliatt is relatively uncommon outside of the Channel Islands, it has left its mark in various fields, including literature, exploration, and commerce. The surname's roots in the Old Norse language and its association with the Channel Islands have contributed to its unique identity and historical significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gilliatt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gilliatt 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. Lincolnshire leads with 94 Gilliatts recorded in 1881 and an index of 43.36x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 94 43.36x
Nottinghamshire 15 8.21x
Yorkshire 12 0.89x
Lancashire 7 0.44x
Cheshire 6 2.00x
Middlesex 4 0.30x
Staffordshire 1 0.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Donington On Bain in Lincolnshire leads with 13 Gilliatts recorded in 1881 and an index of 5909.09x.

Place Total Index
Donington On Bain 13 5909.09x
Nottingham St Mary 11 23.27x
Wrawby 9 1525.42x
Goxhill 6 1132.08x
Holy Trinity 6 18.56x
Oldham 6 11.55x
Ashby 5 735.29x
Boston 5 75.99x
Barton St Mary 4 366.97x
Billinghay 4 597.01x
Friskney 4 579.71x
Scawby 4 555.56x
Snenton 4 55.71x
Corringham 3 857.14x
Halton Holegate 3 1304.35x
Hemswell 3 1764.71x
Knutsford Nether 3 165.75x
Louth 3 60.36x
Scotter 3 600.00x
Westminster St Margaret 3 45.87x
Brinkhill 2 2857.14x
Drypool 2 97.09x
Gayton Le Wold 2 2857.14x
Little Steeping 2 1538.46x
Oxton 2 118.34x
Sculcoates 2 9.39x
St Peterin Eastgate 2 298.51x
West Rasen 2 1666.67x
Barrow On Humber 1 79.37x
Beverley St Mary 1 51.02x
Bigby 1 588.24x
Blyborough 1 833.33x
Bonby 1 526.32x
Carrington 1 714.29x
Clee With Weelsby 1 21.05x
Crowland 1 73.53x
Fishtoft 1 232.56x
Frithville Fishtoft 1 625.00x
Kensington London 1 1.33x
Laceby 1 212.77x
Muckton 1 2500.00x
North Owersby 1 625.00x
Over 1 32.89x
Prestwich 1 24.94x
Shadwell 1 196.08x
Spilsby 1 144.93x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 2.06x
Well 1 1666.67x
Wrangle 1 185.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Elizabeth 6
Ann 5
Charlotte 4
Sarah 4
Alice 3
Ellen 3
Emma 3
Jane 3
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Martha 2
Agnes 1
Annie 1
Catherine 1
Dinah 1
Emily 1
Hannah 1
Helen 1
Kate 1
Katherine 1
Laura 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Magdalen 1
Maraget 1
Margarate 1
Margaret 1
Margery 1
Rebecca 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 11
William 9
Thomas 8
Charles 7
George 5
Joseph 4
Richard 3
Robert 3
Christopher 2
Henry 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Cecil 1
Christapher 1
Edward 1
Ephraim 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Herbert 1
Howard 1
James 1
Jesse 1
Jonathan 1
Lionel 1
Tom 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Gilliatt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gilliatt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 139 people were recorded with the Gilliatt surname. That placed it at #16,228 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gilliatt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 247 in 2016. That gives Gilliatt a modern rank of #16,955.

What does the Gilliatt surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a place name in France.

What does the Gilliatt map show?

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