NameCensus.

UK surname

Gilzean

A Scottish surname derived from a place name, likely locational in origin.

In the 1881 census there were 50 people recorded with the Gilzean surname, ranking it #26,587 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 149, ranked #23,844, up from #26,587 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bridge of Weir, Johnstone South East and South Cambridgeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gilzean is 162 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 198.0%.

1881 census count

50

Ranked #26,587

Modern count

149

2016, ranked #23,844

Peak year

2009

162 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gilzean had 50 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,587 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 149 in 2016, ranked #23,844.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 73 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Gilzean surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gilzean surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gilzean 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 38 #26,502
1861 historical 40 #28,970
1881 historical 50 #26,587
1891 historical 63 #28,881
1901 historical 73 #26,069
1911 historical 16 #31,804
1997 modern 143 #21,761
1998 modern 146 #22,031
1999 modern 145 #22,305
2000 modern 148 #21,971
2001 modern 144 #22,040
2002 modern 147 #22,197
2003 modern 143 #22,367
2004 modern 144 #22,379
2005 modern 147 #22,057
2006 modern 150 #21,915
2007 modern 156 #21,650
2008 modern 158 #21,690
2009 modern 162 #21,791
2010 modern 160 #22,487
2011 modern 155 #22,790
2012 modern 147 #23,567
2013 modern 145 #24,207
2014 modern 146 #24,274
2015 modern 149 #23,817
2016 modern 149 #23,844

Geography

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Where Gilzeans 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 Bridge of Weir, Johnstone South East, South Cambridgeshire, Johnstone South West and Johnstone North West. 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 Bridge of Weir Renfrewshire
2 Johnstone South East Renfrewshire
3 South Cambridgeshire 004 South Cambridgeshire
4 Johnstone South West Renfrewshire
5 Johnstone North West Renfrewshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gilzean

These lists show first names that appear often with the Gilzean 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 Gilzean

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gilzean, 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 Gilzean surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Gilzean 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Gilzean is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gilzean 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

Gilzean falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gilzean 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 Gilzean, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Gilzean

The surname Gilzean is of Scottish origin, emerging in the late 13th century in the Angus region of eastern Scotland. It is derived from the Gaelic words "gille" meaning servant or attendant, and "Gileán" which was a personal name meaning "a little gillie" or "servant lad." The name likely referred to an attendant or servant in a noble household.

One of the earliest known records of the name is found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1292, which mentions a "Gillysone de Arnele." This entry suggests the name was already in use and may have originated from a place name like Arneill or Arnhall.

By the 15th century, the name had evolved to its more modern spelling of Gilzean. In 1476, a charter from King James III granted lands in Angus to a John Gilzean. This document provides one of the first clear examples of the surname spelled as we know it today.

Notable bearers of the Gilzean name include Robert Gilzean, a merchant and burgess of Dundee in the late 16th century. In 1598, he was recorded as owning several properties within the burgh. Another early example is John Gilzean, a landowner in the parish of Arbirlot, Angus, who is mentioned in records from the early 1600s.

During the 17th century, the Gilzeans appeared to have spread throughout eastern Scotland. James Gilzean (1619-1679) was a minister in the parish of Alford in Aberdeenshire. Meanwhile, a family of Gilzeans held lands in the parish of Kirriemuir, Angus, including William Gilzean (1658-1732) who was a notable local landowner.

As the name moved into the 18th and 19th centuries, it remained concentrated in the Angus and Aberdeenshire areas. Individuals like Alexander Gilzean (1761-1823), a farmer in the parish of Arbroath, and David Gilzean (1802-1879), a merchant in the town of Brechin, carried on the name's regional legacy.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gilzean families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gilzean 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. Midlothian leads with 16 Gilzeans recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.99x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 16 24.99x
Angus 8 18.07x
Lanarkshire 7 4.53x
Middlesex 7 1.46x
Morayshire 7 94.21x
Surrey 4 1.72x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Coupar Angus in Angus leads with 8 Gilzeans recorded in 1881 and an index of 1904.76x.

Place Total Index
Coupar Angus 8 1904.76x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 7 1590.91x
Glasgow 7 25.50x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 19.41x
Hackney London 5 18.66x
Camberwell 4 13.10x
New Spynie 3 1111.11x
Ratho 3 1000.00x
Alves 2 1111.11x
Chelsea London 2 13.89x
Drainie 1 151.52x
Edinburgh Greenside 1 117.65x
Elgin 1 69.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Louisa 2
Alice 1
Elizabeth 1
Emma 1
Hebpzibaha 1
Jane 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Frederick 2
Charles 1
Nina 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 Gilzean households.

FAQ

Gilzean surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gilzean surname in 1881?

In 1881, 50 people were recorded with the Gilzean surname. That placed it at #26,587 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gilzean surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 149 in 2016. That gives Gilzean a modern rank of #23,844.

What does the Gilzean surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from a place name, likely locational in origin.

What does the Gilzean map show?

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