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Gillan Family History

Gillan Name Meaning

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Giolláin from a diminutive of giolla ‘lad servant devotee’. Compare Gill .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Gillian, Gillen, Gilligan, Millan, Gilland, Gallen, Finlan, Gillis

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Gillan family from?

You can see how Gillan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gillan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gillan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 61 Gillan families living in Lancashire. This was about 23% of all the recorded Gillan's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Gillan families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gillan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Gillan ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Gillan. 24% of Gillan men worked as a General Labourer and 73% of Gillan women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gillan were Farm Labourer and Incapacitated. .

View Census Data for Gillan | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    24%
  • Laundry Worker Paid
    15%
  • Steel Building Erector
    15%
  • Farm Labourer
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    73%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Domestic Servant
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Gillan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 32,000 census records available for the last name Gillan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gillan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gillan

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Gillan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Gillan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Gillan. For the veterans among your Gillan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gillan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gillan family history

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What is the average Gillan lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Gillan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Gillan in 1945 was 53, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gillan

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