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Gillingham Family History

Gillingham Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from any of the places in Dorset, Norfolk, and Kent named Gillingham ‘homestead (Old English hām) of the people of Gylla’

an unattested Old English personal name.

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


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Where is the Gillingham family from?

You can see how Gillingham families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gillingham family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gillingham families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 382 Gillingham families living in Dorset. This was about 26% of all the recorded Gillingham's in United Kingdom. Dorset had the highest population of Gillingham families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gillingham surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Gillingham 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 Gillingham. 14% of Gillingham men worked as a General Labourer and 73% of Gillingham women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gillingham were Dairy Farmer and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Gillingham | 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
    14%
  • Builders Labourer
    7%
  • Cowman
    5%
  • Dairy Farmer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    73%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    2%

What Gillingham family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 39,000 census records available for the last name Gillingham. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gillingham census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gillingham

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Gillingham. 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 Gillingham immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Gillingham. For the veterans among your Gillingham ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gillingham military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gillingham family history

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What is the average Gillingham lifespan?

Between 1953 and 2004, in the United States, Gillingham life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1990. The average life expectancy for Gillingham in 1953 was 38, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gillingham

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gillingham ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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