NameCensus.

UK surname

Gillies

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Gille Iosa," meaning "servant of Jesus."

In the 1881 census there were 4,288 people recorded with the Gillies surname, ranking it #1,046 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,789, ranked #1,159, down from #1,046 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Glenelg and Arisaig and Moidart. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Skye North East, Lochaber West and Northwest Lewis.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gillies is 5,789 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.0%.

1881 census count

4,288

Ranked #1,046

Modern count

5,789

2016, ranked #1,159

Peak year

2016

5,789 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gillies had 4,288 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,046 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,789 in 2016, ranked #1,159.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,226 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Gillies surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gillies surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gillies 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 3,014 #962
1861 historical 3,101 #936
1881 historical 4,288 #1,046
1891 historical 4,681 #998
1901 historical 5,226 #1,075
1911 historical 859 #5,168
1997 modern 5,212 #1,254
1998 modern 5,438 #1,247
1999 modern 5,512 #1,242
2000 modern 5,572 #1,222
2001 modern 5,431 #1,227
2002 modern 5,607 #1,210
2003 modern 5,514 #1,199
2004 modern 5,431 #1,222
2005 modern 5,449 #1,185
2006 modern 5,428 #1,192
2007 modern 5,457 #1,197
2008 modern 5,519 #1,190
2009 modern 5,610 #1,202
2010 modern 5,740 #1,204
2011 modern 5,622 #1,211
2012 modern 5,612 #1,185
2013 modern 5,688 #1,191
2014 modern 5,750 #1,186
2015 modern 5,731 #1,175
2016 modern 5,789 #1,159

Geography

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Where Gillies' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Glenelg, Arisaig and Moidart, Edinburgh and Kilmichael Glassary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Skye North East, Lochaber West, Northwest Lewis, Skye North West and Campbeltown. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Glenelg Inverness
3 Arisaig and Moidart Inverness
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Kilmichael Glassary Argyll

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Skye North East Highland
2 Lochaber West Highland
3 Northwest Lewis Na h-Eileanan Siar
4 Skye North West Highland
5 Campbeltown Argyll and Bute

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gillies

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gillies

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Gillies surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Gillies household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gillies 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

Gillies 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

Gillies 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 Gillies 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 Gillies, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Gillies

The surname Gillies has its origins in the Scottish Highlands, emerging in the late medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Gille," meaning "servant" or "attendant," often combined with another element referring to a specific religious figure or patron saint.

One of the earliest known references to the name Gillies can be found in the Records of the Priory of the Isle of May, dated around 1380. This document mentions a certain "Gillecalum Gillies," indicating that the surname was already in use at that time.

In the 16th century, the Gillies clan was particularly prominent in the region of Argyll, with members serving as hereditary foresters to the powerful Campbell clan. Several Gillies individuals are recorded in the Book of the Dean of Lismore, a 16th-century manuscript that preserves Gaelic poetry and historical accounts from the Scottish Highlands.

A notable figure bearing the Gillies surname was John Gillies (1747-1836), a Scottish historian and writer. He authored works such as "View of the Reign of Frederick II of Prussia" and "History of Ancient Greece, Its Colonies and Conquests."

Another individual of note was John Gillies (1792-1834), a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a renowned explorer and surveyor in the Pacific Northwest region of North America.

In the 19th century, Archibald Gillies (1813-1897) was a Scottish-Australian politician and landowner who played a significant role in the early development of the colony of Victoria, serving as a member of the Legislative Council.

The name Gillies has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Gillies' Hill in Ayrshire and Gillies' Burn in Dumfries and Galloway, further reflecting the historical presence of the surname in different regions.

Throughout its history, the surname Gillies has maintained a strong connection to its Scottish Gaelic roots, often indicating a familial association with religious institutions or individuals of spiritual significance in the early days of the Scottish Highlands.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gillies families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gillies 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. Lanarkshire leads with 713 Gillies' recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.28x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 713 5.28x
Argyllshire 567 48.75x
Inverness-shire 489 39.19x
Midlothian 325 5.81x
Ayrshire 317 10.14x
Ross-shire 218 19.00x
Renfrewshire 209 6.45x
Dunbartonshire 138 12.29x
Stirlingshire 133 8.63x
Fife 117 4.73x
Lancashire 110 0.22x
Middlesex 103 0.25x
Angus 89 2.30x
Berwickshire 87 17.20x
Morayshire 49 7.55x
Surrey 49 0.24x
Perthshire 48 2.56x
Buteshire 46 18.17x
Aberdeenshire 39 1.01x
Kirkcudbrightshire 38 6.28x
Durham 37 0.30x
Yorkshire 37 0.09x
East Lothian 33 5.96x
West Lothian 33 5.24x
Northumberland 25 0.40x
Hampshire 24 0.28x
Cheshire 22 0.24x
Roxburghshire 22 2.91x
Kent 17 0.12x
Warwickshire 16 0.15x
Dumfriesshire 14 1.52x
Essex 13 0.16x
Derbyshire 9 0.14x
Devon 9 0.10x
Gloucestershire 9 0.11x
Banffshire 7 0.81x
Clackmannanshire 7 2.03x
Kincardineshire 7 1.38x
Orkney 7 1.52x
Sutherland 7 2.18x
Selkirkshire 6 1.59x
Somerset 6 0.09x
Glamorgan 5 0.07x
Royal Navy 5 1.00x
Cumberland 4 0.11x
Nairnshire 4 3.14x
Berkshire 2 0.06x
Sussex 2 0.03x
Wigtownshire 2 0.36x
Caithness 1 0.17x
Flintshire 1 0.09x
Hertfordshire 1 0.03x
Lincolnshire 1 0.02x
Northamptonshire 1 0.03x
Shropshire 1 0.03x
Staffordshire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 227 Gillies' recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.79x.

Place Total Index
Govan 227 6.79x
Barony 209 6.11x
Glasgow 131 5.46x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 124 5.51x
Glenelg 99 431.75x
Glassary 96 153.21x
Portree 88 190.60x
Ardnamurchan 85 144.09x
West Greenock 74 12.73x
Largo 69 214.82x
Kilmartin 58 503.91x
Stewarton 55 88.90x
Barvas 53 69.18x
Applecross 52 161.24x
Knapdale South 49 122.62x
Harris 48 76.54x
Lochs 46 50.36x
Snizort 46 147.81x
Bonhill 43 23.86x
Dumbarton 38 24.32x
Dundee 35 2.42x
Kilsyth 35 35.62x
Knapdale North 35 264.35x
Rothesay 35 28.55x
Duirinish 34 53.46x
Coldingham 33 72.56x
South Leith 33 5.24x
Everton 32 2.03x
East Greenock 31 10.14x
Falkirk 31 8.59x
Kilchoman 30 82.19x
Beith 29 31.08x
South Uist 29 33.31x
Kilbrandon 28 144.48x
Kilmarnock 28 7.52x
Sleat 27 90.94x
Dreghorn 25 44.16x
Irvine 24 27.63x
Lochcarron 24 115.11x
Lochalsh 23 77.99x
Bracadale 22 162.48x
Newington 22 1.43x
Bathgate 21 15.37x
Denny 21 25.62x
Gorbals 21 26.18x
Inverness 21 6.69x
Kilmoden 21 436.59x
Kilninian Kilmore 21 58.91x
Bishopwearmouth 20 1.87x
Mile End Old Town London 20 2.25x
Cathcart 19 10.85x
Dundonald 19 16.48x
Inverchaolain 19 326.46x
Sorn 19 30.93x
Troqueer 19 23.94x
Abernethy Kincardine 18 81.78x
Kilbirnie 18 23.97x
Lasswade 18 14.07x
Edinburgh St Stephens 17 15.43x
Kilmore Kilbride 17 23.03x
Port Glasgow 17 10.86x
Abbey 16 3.24x
Dunse 16 33.35x
Liff Benvie 16 2.72x
Row 16 11.02x
Ardrossan 15 13.86x
Edinburgh St Andrews 15 32.45x
Elgin 15 11.88x
Montrose 15 6.39x
Shotts 15 9.28x
Borthwick 14 55.98x
Kilmonivaig 14 50.54x
Old Monkland 14 2.61x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 13 1.80x
Carluke 13 10.60x
Lesmahagow 13 9.10x
Rutherglen 13 6.56x
West Ham 13 0.71x
Neilston 12 7.38x
St Ninians 12 7.86x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 47
William 28
James 26
Robert 17
Alexander 10
George 10
Henry 7
Thomas 7
David 6
Charles 5
Walter 5
Andrew 4
Peter 4
Wm. 4
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
Malcolm 3
Matthew 3
Duncan 2
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
Markham 2
Richard 2
Robt. 2
Archibald 1
Campbell 1
Cecil 1
Daniel 1
Davies 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
Fredk 1
Fredk. 1
Fulton 1
Geo. 1
Gilbert 1
Harry 1
Hector 1
Jas. 1
Jn. 1
Joseph 1
Jus. 1
Mark 1
Neri 1
Norman 1
Oliver 1
Percival 1
Percy 1
Wm.R. 1

FAQ

Gillies surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gillies surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,288 people were recorded with the Gillies surname. That placed it at #1,046 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gillies surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,789 in 2016. That gives Gillies a modern rank of #1,159.

What does the Gillies surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Gille Iosa," meaning "servant of Jesus."

What does the Gillies map show?

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