NameCensus.

UK surname

Gillum

A surname of English origin, likely derived from the Old French given name Guillaume, meaning "resolute protection."

In the 1881 census there were 25 people recorded with the Gillum surname, ranking it #30,077 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 106, ranked #29,927, up from #30,077 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire, Torfaen and Sunderland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gillum is 112 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 324.0%.

1881 census count

25

Ranked #30,077

Modern count

106

2016, ranked #29,927

Peak year

2014

112 bearers

Map years

2

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gillum had 25 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,077 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 106 in 2016, ranked #29,927.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 35 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Gillum surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gillum surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gillum 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 31 #27,734
1861 historical 19 #31,470
1881 historical 25 #30,077
1891 historical 26 #32,189
1901 historical 25 #31,259
1911 historical 35 #29,478
1997 modern 102 #26,638
1998 modern 106 #26,689
1999 modern 102 #27,468
2000 modern 93 #28,701
2001 modern 92 #28,528
2002 modern 92 #29,040
2003 modern 99 #27,871
2004 modern 108 #26,741
2005 modern 102 #27,689
2006 modern 98 #28,621
2007 modern 97 #29,156
2008 modern 100 #29,001
2009 modern 106 #28,666
2010 modern 104 #29,618
2011 modern 106 #29,157
2012 modern 103 #29,733
2013 modern 108 #29,379
2014 modern 112 #28,934
2015 modern 108 #29,512
2016 modern 106 #29,927

Geography

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Where Gillums 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 Herefordshire, Torfaen, Sunderland and Telford and Wrekin. 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 Herefordshire 002 Herefordshire, County of
2 Torfaen 009 Torfaen
3 Sunderland 020 Sunderland
4 Telford and Wrekin 003 Telford and Wrekin
5 Torfaen 005 Torfaen

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gillum

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gillum

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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, Gillum 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

Gillum 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

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

Meaning and origin of Gillum

The surname Gillum is believed to have originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Gille Cam," which means "servant of the crooked one." This name may have referred to someone with a physical deformity or a person who lived near a bend in a river or road.

The earliest recorded instances of the Gillum surname can be found in Scottish records dating back to the 13th century. In 1296, a man named William Gillecam appeared on the Ragman Rolls, which were a series of parchment rolls containing the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

The Gillum surname was particularly prevalent in the Scottish Borders region, where it was associated with several notable families and landed gentry. One such family was the Gillums of Gilmerton, near Edinburgh, who can trace their ancestry back to the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the Gillum surname began to spread beyond Scotland, with records showing individuals with this name settling in England and Ireland. One notable bearer of the Gillum name was Sir John Gillum (1565-1638), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Gillum surname gained a foothold in North America, as Scottish and Irish immigrants brought the name with them to the New World. One of the earliest recorded Gillums in America was John Gillum (1620-1680), who settled in Virginia in the mid-1600s.

Other notable individuals with the Gillum surname throughout history include:

1. William Gillum (1868-1945), an American author and journalist who wrote extensively about the American West. 2. Ethel Gillum (1889-1966), an American educator and civil rights activist who fought for equal education opportunities for African American children. 3. Robert Gillum (1924-2010), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Gillum Group, a successful construction company. 4. Jessie Gillum (1927-2018), an American baseball player who spent several seasons in the Negro Leagues during the 1940s and 1950s. 5. Andrew Gillum (born 1979), an American politician who served as the Mayor of Tallahassee, Florida, and was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Florida in 2018.

While the Gillum surname has its roots in Scotland and has been carried across the globe by generations of migrants and travelers, it remains a distinct and recognizable name with a rich history and cultural significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gillum families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gillum 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. Dorset leads with 6 Gillums recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.06x.

County Total Index
Dorset 6 36.06x
Monmouthshire 6 32.73x
Surrey 4 3.24x
Herefordshire 3 28.85x
Kent 3 3.47x
Devon 1 1.89x
Glamorgan 1 2.27x
Hampshire 1 1.92x
Royal Navy 1 33.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Llanvihangel Llantarnam in Monmouthshire leads with 6 Gillums recorded in 1881 and an index of 1714.29x.

Place Total Index
Llanvihangel Llantarnam 6 1714.29x
Pentridge 6 30000.00x
East Molesey 4 1379.31x
Leominster 3 697.67x
Fawkham 1 5000.00x
Hougham 1 196.08x
Littleham 1 256.41x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 23.58x
Rochester St Margaret 1 109.89x
Royal Navy 1 38.76x
Winslade 1 10000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
(Mrs) 1
Allice 1
Elfrida 1
Ella 1
Ellen 1
Julia 1
Rhoda 1
Rosamond 1
Stephania 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Sidney 2
Agness 1
Albert 1
Bideane 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Hugh 1
John 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 1
William 1
Wm 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 Gillum households.

FAQ

Gillum surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gillum surname in 1881?

In 1881, 25 people were recorded with the Gillum surname. That placed it at #30,077 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gillum surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 106 in 2016. That gives Gillum a modern rank of #29,927.

What does the Gillum surname mean?

A surname of English origin, likely derived from the Old French given name Guillaume, meaning "resolute protection."

What does the Gillum map show?

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