NameCensus.

UK surname

Gillooly

A Gaelic surname derived from the Irish name "Giolla Iosa" meaning "devotee of Jesus".

In the 1881 census there were 61 people recorded with the Gillooly surname, ranking it #24,992 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 179, ranked #21,086, up from #24,992 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caldercruix and Plains, Thrashbush and Glenmavis and Greengairs.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gillooly is 179 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 193.4%.

1881 census count

61

Ranked #24,992

Modern count

179

2016, ranked #21,086

Peak year

2016

179 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gillooly had 61 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,992 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 179 in 2016, ranked #21,086.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 91 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Gillooly surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gillooly surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gillooly 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 18 #30,094
1861 historical 26 #30,677
1881 historical 61 #24,992
1891 historical 55 #29,744
1901 historical 91 #23,921
1911 historical 38 #29,147
1997 modern 150 #21,119
1998 modern 165 #20,423
1999 modern 160 #20,943
2000 modern 164 #20,584
2001 modern 166 #20,129
2002 modern 166 #20,532
2003 modern 164 #20,483
2004 modern 159 #21,007
2005 modern 165 #20,468
2006 modern 161 #20,972
2007 modern 159 #21,387
2008 modern 171 #20,595
2009 modern 177 #20,560
2010 modern 178 #20,965
2011 modern 175 #21,035
2012 modern 168 #21,516
2013 modern 177 #21,170
2014 modern 175 #21,477
2015 modern 176 #21,291
2016 modern 179 #21,086

Geography

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Where Gilloolys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caldercruix and Plains, Thrashbush, Glenmavis and Greengairs, Warrington and Wirral. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caldercruix and Plains North Lanarkshire
2 Thrashbush North Lanarkshire
3 Glenmavis and Greengairs North Lanarkshire
4 Warrington 006 Warrington
5 Wirral 013 Wirral

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gillooly

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gillooly

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gillooly, 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 Gillooly surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Gillooly 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Gillooly 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

Gillooly is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gillooly falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gillooly 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Gillooly

The surname Gillooly is of Irish origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in County Cork, Ireland, where the name was anglicized from the Gaelic "O'Giollalaimhe" or "O'Giollalua," meaning "descendant of the servant of the hand" or "descendant of the servant of the calf."

In its earliest recorded forms, the name was spelled as Gillooly, Gillouley, Gillawley, and Gillooley. These variations reflect the different dialects and regional pronunciations found throughout Ireland during that time period. The name is thought to have been derived from the occupation of a servant or attendant, possibly in reference to a person who served in a noble household or monastery.

One of the earliest known references to the Gillooly name can be found in the Fiants of the Reign of Elizabeth I, a collection of official documents from the late 16th century. This record mentions a Thomas Gillooly, who was granted lands in County Tipperary in 1587.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Gillooly name appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, particularly in counties Cork, Kerry, and Tipperary. Notable individuals with this surname include John Gillooly (1737-1795), a Catholic priest and writer from County Cork, and Michael Gillooly (1798-1858), an Irish author and journalist who was involved in the Young Ireland movement.

In the 19th century, members of the Gillooly family emigrated to different parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia. One prominent figure was John Gillooly (1819-1895), an Irish-American Catholic priest who served as the Bishop of Cleveland, Ohio.

Another noteworthy individual was Michael Gillooly (1865-1933), an Irish-American lawyer and politician from Massachusetts. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1913 to 1917.

In the realm of sports, the name Gillooly gained notoriety in the 1990s due to Jeff Gillooly (born 1968), who was involved in the attack on figure skater Nancy Kerrigan in 1994. However, this incident falls outside the scope of this historical account.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gillooly families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gillooly 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 20 Gilloolys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.83x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 20 2.83x
Staffordshire 14 6.97x
Lanarkshire 11 5.72x
Durham 4 2.26x
Worcestershire 4 5.15x
Northumberland 3 3.39x
Midlothian 2 2.51x
Angus 1 1.81x
Derbyshire 1 1.07x
Kent 1 0.49x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 14 Gilloolys recorded in 1881 and an index of 65.76x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 14 65.76x
Warrington 9 107.53x
New Monkland 6 105.45x
Wigan 5 50.71x
Gateshead 4 30.19x
Harpurhey 4 408.16x
Stourbridge 4 200.00x
Govan 3 6.31x
North Sunderland 3 1500.00x
Blantyre 2 100.00x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 6.24x
Chatham 1 17.92x
Dundee 1 4.86x
Everton 1 4.45x
Garston 1 48.08x
Glossop Dale 1 22.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Margaret 5
Mary 5
Catherine 4
Ann 2
Bridget 1
Bridgett 1
Cecilia 1
Ellen 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 5
Patrick 4
James 3
Joseph 2
Laurence 2
Luke 2
Andrew 1
Bernard 1
Frederick 1
Mich. 1
Michael 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Gillooly households.

FAQ

Gillooly surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gillooly surname in 1881?

In 1881, 61 people were recorded with the Gillooly surname. That placed it at #24,992 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gillooly surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 179 in 2016. That gives Gillooly a modern rank of #21,086.

What does the Gillooly surname mean?

A Gaelic surname derived from the Irish name "Giolla Iosa" meaning "devotee of Jesus".

What does the Gillooly map show?

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