Gillan Family History

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Gillan Name Meaning

reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Giolláin, from a diminutive of giolla ‘lad’. reduced form of Gilliland.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


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

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Gillan Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Gillan name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Gillan. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • Ireland & Scotland

    38%

  • England & Wales

    37%

  • European Jewish

    4%

  • Norway

    3%

  • Germanic Europe

    3%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Gillan Family Origin

Where is the Gillan family from?

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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 the USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 61 Gillan families living in Lancashire. This was about 23% of all the recorded Gillan's in the UK. 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.

View Census Data for Gillan

Gillan Family Occupations

What did your Gillan ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, a less common occupation for the Gillan family was Shoemaker. The most common Gillan occupation in the UK was Labourer. 5% of Gillan's were Labourers. Labourer, Coal Miner and House Keeper were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Gillan.

View Census data for Gillan | Data not to scale

  • Labourer

    5%

  • Coal Miner

    3%

  • House Keeper

    2%

  • Shoemaker

    2%

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Gillan ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Gillan Historical Records

What Gillan family records will you find?

Census Record

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 1891 UK census records for Gillan

Passenger List

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 Card

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

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Gillan Life Expectancy

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

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gillan 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.

Famous Gillan Family Ancestors

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