Parent’s name

Gill surname meaning

A surname from Gill, a pet form of Giles or William; other regional streams occur.

Confidence: Disputed
US frequency: Rank 424 · 75,535 people
Common variants: Gille, Gilles, Gills

Confidence: Disputed. More than one origin is plausible, or sources disagree. We show the conflict rather than pick a cute answer.

The short story

Gill is a surname with several unrelated-looking histories under one short spelling. In English records it can be a pet form of Giles and, in some accounts, William; Scottish and Irish families may preserve Gaelic or patronymic formations, while South Asian Gill has its own Punjabi history. Gille and Gilles are related in some European records, not all. Because no single gloss covers the whole surname, this catalog uses the personal-name route as its parent’s-name lead and marks confidence disputed. A family record is needed before assigning one Gill origin.

Also seen as: Gille, Gilles, Gills

Sources used

Ancestry/Dictionary of American Family Names entry 'Gill' (English, Scottish, Irish, and other origins)
Wikipedia 'Gill (surname)' (regional surname traditions)
Names2020_LastNames_RaceHispanic_Top1000.xlsx (2020 Census)