Gaskill
A name probably related to the Cheshire/Lancashire surname Gaskell, with the same likely roots in a place-name or an old northern English form.
The #6,139 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 55,321 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Gaskill is generally treated as a variant of Gaskell, a northern English surname whose ultimate roots are usually traced to a place-name or to Old Scandinavian/Old English elements in northern Britain. The final element -kill in spellings like Gaskill is often a later spelling variation rather than a separate meaning. Because historical sources often group Gaskell and Gaskill together, the exact original form behind this surname is not certain.
History
The name appears in historical surname lists alongside Gaskell, especially in Cheshire and Lancashire, which supports a northern English association. In the 19th century, genealogical and surname writers often treated Gaskill as a spelling variant rather than a fully separate surname. The name is now relatively uncommon in the United States, but it remains established enough to have a clear documentary trail.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname indexes often file Gaskill right next to Gaskell, reflecting how closely the two spellings were linked in historical records.
From the historical record
“Garney, Garnier, Garran, Garrigan, Garrood, Garsid and Garside, Gartland, Garvey, Garvin, Gary and Garey, Gaskell and Gaskill, Gasset and Gassett, Gassier, Gathut, Gatius, Gatup, Gaughon, Gault, Gaut, Gavagan, Gavin, Gealey, Geaney, Gedney (an old Lord-Mayor of London was named Gidney), Geezer, Geggie, Geldowsky…”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)