NameCensus.

UK surname

Gillson

A patronymic surname derived from a personal name meaning "son of Gill".

In the 1881 census there were 350 people recorded with the Gillson surname, ranking it #8,762 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 363, ranked #12,777, down from #8,762 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tormoham with Torquay, Fen Ditton and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and Flintshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gillson is 529 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.7%.

1881 census count

350

Ranked #8,762

Modern count

363

2016, ranked #12,777

Peak year

1911

529 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gillson had 350 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,762 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 363 in 2016, ranked #12,777.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 529 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Gillson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gillson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gillson 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 215 #9,860
1861 historical 293 #8,589
1881 historical 350 #8,762
1891 historical 465 #7,874
1901 historical 456 #8,624
1911 historical 529 #7,509
1997 modern 407 #10,869
1998 modern 425 #10,859
1999 modern 417 #11,091
2000 modern 407 #11,252
2001 modern 408 #11,056
2002 modern 419 #11,059
2003 modern 385 #11,570
2004 modern 378 #11,757
2005 modern 390 #11,397
2006 modern 399 #11,282
2007 modern 388 #11,630
2008 modern 397 #11,556
2009 modern 410 #11,503
2010 modern 416 #11,627
2011 modern 396 #11,943
2012 modern 388 #11,996
2013 modern 388 #12,204
2014 modern 380 #12,449
2015 modern 366 #12,717
2016 modern 363 #12,777

Geography

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Where Gillsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tormoham with Torquay, Fen Ditton, London parishes, Soham and Swaffham Prior. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Flintshire, Leeds and South Hams. 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 Tormoham with Torquay Devon
2 Fen Ditton Cambridgeshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Soham Cambridgeshire
5 Swaffham Prior Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 023 Bradford
2 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 018 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
3 Flintshire 002 Flintshire
4 Leeds 021 Leeds
5 South Hams 003 South Hams

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gillson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gillson

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Gillson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Gillson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Gillson is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Gillson is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gillson 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 Gillson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Gillson

The surname Gillson is believed to have originated in England, with records tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is thought to be a patronymic name derived from the Old English personal name "Gil," which was a diminutive form of the name Gilbert.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Gillesone." This suggests that the surname was already in use by the late 11th century. The name is likely to have evolved from various spelling variations over the centuries, including Gillison, Gilleson, and Gillson.

The name Gillson was particularly prevalent in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire during the Middle Ages. This may indicate that the name originated in one of these regions or that it was particularly popular among families residing there.

One notable bearer of the surname was John Gillson (c. 1525-1585), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Shoreham during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another early record is that of William Gillson (c. 1560-1612), a clergyman and author who published several works on religious subjects.

In the 17th century, Thomas Gillson (1628-1699) was a prominent English mathematician and astronomer. He was appointed as the first Savilian Professor of Astronomy at the University of Oxford in 1676, a position he held until his death.

Moving into the 18th century, Samuel Gillson (1705-1790) was an English clergyman and author who wrote several works on theology and moral philosophy. He served as the rector of Amesbury in Wiltshire for over 40 years.

In more recent history, Sir Sydney Hedley Gillson (1878-1962) was a British civil engineer and public servant. He played a significant role in the construction of the London Underground system and was knighted in 1946 for his contributions to the field of civil engineering.

While the surname Gillson may have originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, as a result of migration and immigration patterns. However, its roots can be traced back to medieval England, where it likely emerged as a patronymic name derived from the Old English personal name Gil.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gillson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gillson 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. Yorkshire leads with 69 Gillsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.03x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 69 2.03x
Cambridgeshire 61 28.13x
Middlesex 45 1.31x
Lincolnshire 21 3.84x
Lancashire 19 0.47x
Hampshire 17 2.42x
Surrey 17 1.02x
Northamptonshire 13 4.04x
Suffolk 13 3.12x
Leicestershire 11 2.90x
Devon 9 1.26x
Norfolk 9 1.71x
Huntingdonshire 7 10.30x
Gloucestershire 6 0.89x
Lanarkshire 6 0.54x
Cheshire 5 0.66x
Essex 5 0.74x
Warwickshire 5 0.58x
Ayrshire 3 1.17x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.43x
Sussex 2 0.35x
Bedfordshire 1 0.56x
Derbyshire 1 0.19x
Durham 1 0.10x
Hertfordshire 1 0.42x
Kent 1 0.09x
Somerset 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Soham in Cambridgeshire leads with 19 Gillsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 406.85x.

Place Total Index
Soham 19 406.85x
Haworth 13 161.29x
Northampton Priory St 13 67.29x
St Andrewthe Less 12 48.43x
Newington 10 7.91x
Exning 9 428.57x
Hammersmith London 9 10.67x
Stainton In 9 2250.00x
Stamford St John 9 1216.22x
Tormoham 9 29.84x
Fulbourn 8 386.47x
St Giles In Fields London 8 47.62x
Swaffham Prior 8 842.11x
Westminster St John 8 19.18x
Gomersal 7 44.19x
Leeds 7 3.65x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 6 18.98x
Barrow In Furness 6 10.86x
Bourn 6 135.75x
Cleckheaton 6 48.00x
Great Stukeley 6 1224.49x
Great Yarmouth 6 13.76x
Horton In Bradford 6 11.33x
Kirby Bellars 6 1875.00x
Waterbeach 6 338.98x
Acomb 5 282.49x
Clerkenwell London 5 6.19x
Douglas 5 156.74x
Everton 5 3.86x
Lambeth 5 1.67x
Mangotsfield 5 74.74x
Rugby 5 42.81x
South Stoneham 5 32.85x
Beeston 4 116.62x
Brightside Bierlow 4 6.01x
Enfield 4 17.81x
Gorton 4 10.47x
Itchen Abbas 4 1290.32x
Newmarket St Mary 4 125.00x
Twyford 4 800.00x
Birkenhead 3 4.98x
Fen Ditton 3 384.62x
Muirkirk 3 49.83x
Saffron Walden 3 42.02x
Southampton All Sts 3 24.92x
The Holy Sepulchre 3 566.04x
Ancaster 2 259.74x
Boston 2 12.04x
Camberwell 2 0.91x
Eastbourne 2 7.53x
Flintham 2 444.44x
Hyde 2 8.97x
Kensington London 2 1.05x
Liverpool 2 0.81x
Ryde 2 13.26x
Southampton St Mary 2 4.53x
St Martin In Fields 2 9.76x
St Marylebone London 2 1.09x
Stanstead 2 357.14x
Woodrising 2 1818.18x
Bedford St Paul 1 8.22x
Brampton 1 70.92x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 4.47x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 1 10.57x
Fordham 1 71.43x
Islington London 1 0.30x
Kirkdale 1 1.46x
Lydd 1 40.00x
Market Deeping 1 70.42x
North Elmham 1 78.13x
North Mimms 1 67.11x
Snainton 1 109.89x
St Pancras London 1 0.36x
Stockton On Tees 1 2.04x
Thorpe Satchville 1 500.00x
Titchfield 1 18.90x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 1 22.52x
West Derby 1 0.84x
Westminster St Margaret 1 6.05x
Witham On Hill 1 434.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 28
Sarah 20
Elizabeth 16
Alice 8
Ann 7
Annie 6
Jane 6
Emma 5
Caroline 4
Eliza 4
Emily 4
Hannah 4
Margaret 4
Martha 4
Elizth. 3
Ellen 3
Florence 3
Kate 3
Nancy 3
Anne 2
Clara 2
Ethel 2
Fanny 2
Harriet 2
Jessie 2
Louisa 2
Susan 2
Arethusa 1
Bertha 1
Catharine 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Constance 1
E. 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Eliz. 1
Esther 1
Horatia 1
Julia 1
Lily 1
Maria 1
Marta 1
Minnie 1
Phoebe 1
Polly 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1
Susey 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 19
George 16
John 16
Thomas 13
Arthur 7
Charles 6
Henry 6
Robert 6
James 5
Herbert 4
Alfred 3
Edward 3
Edwin 3
Frank 3
Frederick 3
Robt. 3
Fredk. 2
Fredrick 2
Jeremiah 2
Joseph 2
Samuel 2
Squire 2
Wm. 2
Dennis 1
Eli 1
Ernest 1
F. 1
Francis 1
Fred. 1
Godfrey 1
Harry 1
Hugh 1
Joel 1
Jos.R. 1
Joshua 1
Julius 1
Lewis 1
Maurice 1
Michael 1
Mick 1
Moses 1
Owen 1
Percy 1
Reuben 1
Richard 1
Richd. 1
Robinson 1
Rowland 1
Sawdon 1
Septimus 1

FAQ

Gillson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gillson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 350 people were recorded with the Gillson surname. That placed it at #8,762 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gillson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 363 in 2016. That gives Gillson a modern rank of #12,777.

What does the Gillson surname mean?

A patronymic surname derived from a personal name meaning "son of Gill".

What does the Gillson map show?

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