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Gills Family History

Gills Surname Meaning

English: variant of Gill with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s.

Alternatively if pronounced with soft G- possibly a variant of Giles.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Gills family from?

You can see how Gills families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gills family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gills families were found in USA in 1880, and United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 95 Gills families living in London. This was about 19% of all the recorded Gills's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Gills families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gills 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 Gills 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 Gills. 29% of Gills men worked as a General Labourer and 76% of Gills women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gills were App Blacksmith and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Gills | 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
    29%
  • Builders Labourer
    22%
  • Colliery Hewer
    22%
  • App Blacksmith
    15%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    76%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Housekeeper
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%

What Gills family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 17,000 census records available for the last name Gills. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gills census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gills

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Gills. 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 Gills immigration records

Draft Cards

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

View all Gills military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gills family history

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What is the average Gills lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Gills life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 1967. The average life expectancy for Gills in 1947 was 31, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gills

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gills 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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