NameCensus.

UK surname

Gilligan

Derived from the Irish surname Ó Giollagáin, meaning "descendant of the servant of St. John."

In the 1881 census there were 762 people recorded with the Gilligan surname, ranking it #4,843 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,021, ranked #3,185, up from #4,843 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Manchester and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hawick West End, Rochdale and Suffolk Coastal.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gilligan is 2,021 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 165.2%.

1881 census count

762

Ranked #4,843

Modern count

2,021

2016, ranked #3,185

Peak year

2016

2,021 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gilligan had 762 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,843 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,021 in 2016, ranked #3,185.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 865 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Gilligan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gilligan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gilligan 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 289 #7,860
1861 historical 471 #5,515
1881 historical 762 #4,843
1891 historical 836 #4,873
1901 historical 865 #5,295
1911 historical 813 #5,413
1997 modern 1,820 #3,300
1998 modern 1,931 #3,243
1999 modern 1,906 #3,308
2000 modern 1,883 #3,329
2001 modern 1,852 #3,314
2002 modern 1,846 #3,387
2003 modern 1,850 #3,312
2004 modern 1,851 #3,314
2005 modern 1,860 #3,269
2006 modern 1,868 #3,282
2007 modern 1,883 #3,278
2008 modern 1,905 #3,269
2009 modern 1,965 #3,264
2010 modern 2,015 #3,254
2011 modern 1,946 #3,317
2012 modern 1,915 #3,307
2013 modern 1,991 #3,256
2014 modern 2,020 #3,238
2015 modern 2,012 #3,221
2016 modern 2,021 #3,185

Geography

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Where Gilligans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Manchester, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Glasgow and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hawick West End, Rochdale, Suffolk Coastal, Salford and Halton. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hawick West End Scottish Borders
2 Rochdale 025 Rochdale
3 Suffolk Coastal 007 Suffolk Coastal
4 Salford 028 Salford
5 Halton 010 Halton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gilligan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gilligan

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Gilligan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Gilligan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gilligan 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

Gilligan is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gilligan 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 Gilligan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Gilligan

The surname Gilligan is an Anglicized form of the ancient Irish name O'Gilligan, derived from the Gaelic "giolla" meaning "servant" or "lad". It originated in County Sligo, Ireland, where the clan held territories during the Middle Ages.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, dating back to the 13th century. It mentions a "Gilligan O'Gilligan" who was a chieftain in County Sligo around 1275.

In the 16th century, during the Tudor conquest of Ireland, many Irish families were dispossessed of their lands and sought refuge in other parts of the country or abroad. This led to the spread of the Gilligan name throughout Ireland and eventually to other parts of the British Isles.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Gilligan, a soldier and statesman who served as Lord Lieutenant of County Sligo in the early 17th century. He played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars (1641-1653) and was ultimately executed by the English Parliament in 1652.

Another historical figure with the Gilligan surname was Reverend John Gilligan, a Catholic priest born in County Sligo in 1738. He was a prominent educator and founded several schools in Ireland during the late 18th century.

In the 19th century, many Gilligans immigrated to North America, Australia, and other parts of the world, fleeing poverty and famine in Ireland. One of the earliest recorded Gilligans in the United States was Patrick Gilligan, who arrived in New York in 1817 from County Sligo.

Other notable Gilligans throughout history include:

1. Eugene Gilligan (1878-1966), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist in New York City. 2. James Gilligan (1917-2003), an American psychiatrist and author known for his work on violence prevention. 3. Andrew Gilligan (born 1968), a British journalist and broadcaster who played a central role in the BBC's coverage of the Iraq War. 4. Carol Gilligan (born 1936), an American feminist and psychologist known for her work on ethical development. 5. Vince Gilligan (born 1967), an American writer, producer, and director, best known for creating the critically acclaimed TV series Breaking Bad.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gilligan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gilligan 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. Lancashire leads with 252 Gilligans recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.85x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 252 2.85x
Yorkshire 100 1.35x
Lanarkshire 98 4.07x
Durham 54 2.44x
Angus 38 5.50x
Middlesex 31 0.42x
Cheshire 30 1.82x
Warwickshire 22 1.17x
Renfrewshire 20 3.46x
Glamorgan 17 1.31x
Kent 15 0.59x
Roxburghshire 15 11.11x
Northumberland 12 1.08x
Midlothian 8 0.80x
Staffordshire 8 0.32x
Derbyshire 7 0.60x
Dunbartonshire 7 3.50x
Surrey 7 0.19x
Selkirkshire 4 5.93x
Sussex 4 0.32x
Essex 3 0.20x
Berkshire 2 0.36x
Hampshire 2 0.13x
Leicestershire 2 0.24x
Royal Navy 2 2.25x
Cornwall 1 0.12x
Cumberland 1 0.16x
Fife 1 0.23x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 40 Gilligans recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.45x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 40 7.45x
Salford 37 14.23x
Manchester 36 9.05x
Dundee 34 13.19x
Govan 31 5.20x
Glasgow 28 6.54x
Leeds 26 6.23x
Darlington 23 26.87x
Birmingham 18 2.87x
Barony 17 2.79x
Dewsbury 15 19.80x
Warrington 15 14.31x
Ashton Under Lyne 12 6.21x
Wigan 11 8.90x
Llandaff 10 23.16x
Pontefract 10 62.85x
Erith 9 35.93x
Great Bolton 9 7.68x
Jesmond 9 57.69x
Barrow In Furness 8 6.65x
Ecclesall Bierlow 8 5.33x
Middle Greenock 8 50.76x
Old Monkland 8 8.36x
Shoreditch London 8 2.48x
Ancrum 7 200.00x
Dumbarton 7 25.11x
Hawick 7 23.17x
Leftwich 7 95.76x
Prescot 7 43.78x
Sheffield 7 2.98x
Shotts 7 24.27x
Walton On Hill 7 14.61x
Kilbarchan 6 34.21x
Sale 6 29.73x
Swansea Town 6 5.64x
York St George 6 103.09x
Barmston 5 301.20x
Golborne 5 43.37x
Haswell 5 31.47x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 5 5.21x
Holmside 5 91.58x
Kirkleatham 5 50.15x
Macclesfield 5 6.84x
Openshaw 5 12.07x
Shadwell London 5 23.97x
Westminster St John 5 5.51x
Windle 5 10.05x
York St Crux 5 238.10x
Blackburn 4 1.70x
Camberwell 4 0.84x
Deptford St Paul 4 2.04x
Easington 4 124.22x
Edinburgh St Johns 4 63.49x
Galashiels 4 16.04x
Gorton 4 4.81x
Hulme 4 2.17x
Liff Benvie 4 3.82x
Rutherglen 4 11.31x
St Pancras London 4 0.67x
Toxteth Park 4 1.34x
Walsall Foreign 4 3.08x
West Greenock 4 3.86x
Altrincham 3 10.43x
Aston 3 0.58x
Crumpsall 3 14.40x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 3 0.75x
Huddersfield 3 2.79x
Middlesbrough 3 3.12x
Newton In Makerfield 3 11.08x
Ratcliffe London 3 7.29x
Stockport 3 3.54x
Stretton In Runcorn 3 297.03x
Tollerton 3 229.01x
Wardleworth 3 5.94x
Witton 3 26.95x
Wolstanton 3 3.93x
Bradford 2 1.12x
Derby St Alkmund 2 5.72x
Heap 2 4.26x
Leicester St Margaret 2 0.99x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 84
Ellen 21
Catherine 17
Margaret 16
Ann 15
Sarah 15
Bridget 14
Jane 12
Elizabeth 10
Annie 9
Kate 6
Eliza 5
Selina 4
Amy 3
Hannah 3
Maria 3
Alice 2
Amelia 2
Anne 2
Betsy 2
Catharine 2
Emma 2
Honora 2
Julia 2
Margret 2
Martha 2
Rose 2
Teresa 2
Bedilia 1
Cath. 1
Dorothy 1
Elizth. 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Gertrude 1
Jemima 1
Johannah 1
John 1
Lilly 1
Lina 1
Livinia 1
Louisa 1
Mabel 1
Madelia 1
Margeret 1
Margt. 1
Nancy 1
Rachel 1
Winnifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 56
Thomas 29
James 25
Michael 25
William 16
Patrick 14
Edward 12
George 8
Charles 7
Peter 6
Joseph 5
Martin 5
Christopher 4
Francis 4
Dennis 3
Jas. 3
Owen 3
Andrew 2
Arthur 2
Dominick 2
Luke 2
Mark 2
Mathew 2
Matthew 2
Pat 2
Robert 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Anthony 1
Bartholomew 1
Bernard 1
Chas. 1
Christy 1
Dan 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Gertrude 1
Hamilton 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Jno. 1
Laurence 1
Lawce. 1
Margaret 1
Micheal 1
Mick 1
Moatin 1
Ralph 1

FAQ

Gilligan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gilligan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 762 people were recorded with the Gilligan surname. That placed it at #4,843 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gilligan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,021 in 2016. That gives Gilligan a modern rank of #3,185.

What does the Gilligan surname mean?

Derived from the Irish surname Ó Giollagáin, meaning "descendant of the servant of St. John."

What does the Gilligan map show?

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