NameCensus.

UK surname

Gillie

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic word "gille" meaning servant or attendant.

In the 1881 census there were 307 people recorded with the Gillie surname, ranking it #9,568 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 537, ranked #9,475, up from #9,568 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Cranshaws, Coldingham and Eyemouth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Eyemouth, Northumberland and Kelso North.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gillie is 580 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 74.9%.

1881 census count

307

Ranked #9,568

Modern count

537

2016, ranked #9,475

Peak year

2000

580 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gillie had 307 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,568 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 537 in 2016, ranked #9,475.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 356 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Gillie surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gillie surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gillie 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 190 #10,852
1861 historical 195 #12,263
1881 historical 307 #9,568
1891 historical 345 #9,944
1901 historical 356 #10,305
1911 historical 166 #16,756
1997 modern 552 #8,634
1998 modern 573 #8,643
1999 modern 576 #8,673
2000 modern 580 #8,597
2001 modern 547 #8,833
2002 modern 553 #8,949
2003 modern 534 #9,035
2004 modern 544 #8,933
2005 modern 541 #8,900
2006 modern 545 #8,875
2007 modern 560 #8,782
2008 modern 557 #8,876
2009 modern 565 #8,980
2010 modern 557 #9,270
2011 modern 556 #9,185
2012 modern 520 #9,607
2013 modern 537 #9,526
2014 modern 534 #9,613
2015 modern 543 #9,419
2016 modern 537 #9,475

Geography

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Where Gillies are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Cranshaws, Coldingham, Eyemouth, Gateshead and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Eyemouth, Northumberland, Kelso North, Coldstream and Area and Duns. 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 Cranshaws Berwick
2 Coldingham Berwick
3 Eyemouth Berwick
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Eyemouth Scottish Borders
2 Northumberland 001 Northumberland
3 Kelso North Scottish Borders
4 Coldstream and Area Scottish Borders
5 Duns Scottish Borders

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gillie

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gillie

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Gillie surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Gillie household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gillie 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

Gillie is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gillie falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gillie is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Gillie

The surname GILLIE is of Scottish origin, originating from the Gaelic word "gille" which means "servant" or "attendant." It was often used as a occupational surname for those who worked as servants or attendants to important figures or households.

The earliest recorded instances of this surname date back to the 13th century in Scotland. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was John Gillie, who was mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish nobles and landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Scottish Wars of Independence.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the name GILLIE was particularly prevalent in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, where it was associated with various clans and families. In the 16th century, the Gillies of Glenrawe were a prominent branch of the Clan Macgregor, known for their loyalty and service to the Macgregor chiefs.

A notable historical figure bearing the GILLIE surname was Duncan Gillie, a Scottish soldier and poet who lived in the early 17th century. He is known for his work "A Shorthand Treatise," which is considered one of the earliest works on shorthand writing in Scotland.

Another distinguished bearer of this name was John Gillie, a Scottish minister and author born in 1735. He wrote several influential works on Scottish history and literature, including "Historical Collections Relating to Remarkable Periods of the Success of the Gospel" and "Traditions of the Covenanters."

In the 19th century, William Gillie (1815-1876) was a Scottish landscape painter who specialized in depicting scenes from the Scottish Highlands. His works were highly regarded and are now part of several art collections in Scotland.

The GILLIE surname has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Gillies Hill in Aberdeenshire and Gillies' Burn in Lanarkshire. These place names likely derived from individuals or families bearing the GILLIE surname who lived or owned land in those areas.

While the surname GILLIE is primarily of Scottish origin, it has also been found in other parts of the United Kingdom and beyond, likely due to migration and settlement patterns over the centuries. However, its roots and earliest recorded instances can be traced back to the rugged landscapes and rich cultural heritage of Scotland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gillie families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gillie 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. Berwickshire leads with 117 Gillies recorded in 1881 and an index of 323.74x.

County Total Index
Berwickshire 117 323.74x
Northumberland 51 11.48x
Durham 25 2.82x
Middlesex 19 0.64x
Midlothian 17 4.25x
Lancashire 16 0.45x
Lanarkshire 14 1.45x
East Lothian 9 22.77x
Staffordshire 8 0.79x
Buteshire 7 38.70x
Perthshire 6 4.48x
Fife 4 2.26x
Selkirkshire 4 14.81x
Worcestershire 4 1.03x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.36x
Ayrshire 1 0.45x
Kent 1 0.10x
Roxburghshire 1 1.85x
Surrey 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Eyemouth in Berwickshire leads with 34 Gillies recorded in 1881 and an index of 1125.83x.

Place Total Index
Eyemouth 34 1125.83x
Berwick Upon Tweed 17 180.66x
Hutton 15 1515.15x
Coldingham 12 369.23x
Gateshead 12 18.05x
Mile End Old Town London 11 17.31x
Barony 10 4.09x
Everton 10 8.86x
Dunse 9 262.39x
Edrom 9 580.65x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 9 154.11x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 8 4.97x
Fogo 8 1666.67x
Nenthorn 8 1702.13x
Rothesay 7 79.91x
South Leith 7 15.56x
Westoe 7 13.91x
Bedlington 6 40.46x
Earsdon 6 166.21x
Perth East Church 6 47.51x
Cranshaws 5 4545.45x
Prestonkirk 5 252.53x
Walsall Foreign 5 9.61x
Galashiels 4 40.08x
Kidderminster Borough 4 17.54x
Lauder 4 200.00x
Toxteth Park 4 3.34x
Tweedmouth 4 72.20x
Ayton 3 142.86x
Chatton 3 220.59x
Cowpen 3 29.33x
Gordon 3 352.94x
Greenlaw 3 234.38x
Innerwick 3 379.75x
Kinghorn 3 80.00x
Bishopwearmouth 2 2.62x
Govan 2 0.84x
Islington London 2 0.69x
Manchester 2 1.26x
St Marylebone London 2 1.26x
Walsall Borough 2 25.58x
Abbey St Bathans 1 384.62x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 1 1.93x
Ayr 1 9.49x
Carnwath 1 16.75x
Chelsea London 1 1.11x
Coldstream 1 38.17x
Cramlington 1 17.04x
Cupar 1 13.02x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.27x
Dunbar 1 18.05x
Earlston 1 55.25x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 1 10.57x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 12.05x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 2.60x
Heworth 1 5.71x
Kensington London 1 0.60x
Lesmahagow 1 9.79x
Longformacus 1 256.41x
Melrose 1 21.41x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 4.34x
Southwick 1 11.89x
Wallsend 1 7.10x
Washington 1 26.88x
Westminster St James 1 3.26x
Willesden 1 3.55x
Woking 1 11.40x
Wolstanton Oldcott 1 27.40x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Jane 7
Sarah 6
Elizabeth 5
Margaret 5
Isabella 4
Jessie 3
Ellen 2
Grace 2
Harriet 2
Rebecca 2
Susan 2
Ann 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Bell 1
Catherine 1
Charlott 1
Esther 1
Euphemia 1
Helen 1
Isabel 1
Janet 1
Julia 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Maydelin 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Gillie surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gillie surname in 1881?

In 1881, 307 people were recorded with the Gillie surname. That placed it at #9,568 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gillie surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 537 in 2016. That gives Gillie a modern rank of #9,475.

What does the Gillie surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic word "gille" meaning servant or attendant.

What does the Gillie map show?

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