Gill
A surname that can mean either “servant of Gilbert” or someone living by a ravine-like gill or brook.
The #435 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 4,119 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Gill has more than one possible source. In English surname use, it is often explained either as a shortened form of Gilbert or from the dialect word gill, meaning a narrow ravine or small stream. In Gaelic contexts, Gill can also be connected with gille, meaning “servant” or “lad,” especially in names such as MacGill. The name may therefore have arisen independently in different places and families.
History
The surname appears early in English records and also survives in many compounds, such as Asgill, Gilby, Gilham, and others. In Scotland and Ireland, related forms often reflect Gaelic naming patterns and the element gille. The name is common enough in the modern United States to rank well within the top 500 surnames.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A 19th-century surname dictionary specifically notes that the Devon family called Gill had held lands there since the reign of King Stephen.
From the historical record
“perty in the same parish. Inf. D. D. Hopkjiis, Esq. GILL. 1. See Gilbert. 2. This word occurs singly as a surname, and also with many compounds, as Asgill, Pickersgill, Dowgill, Gilham, Gilby, &c. It either sig- nifies a narrow pelibly rivulet in a ravine, or is a diminutive of Gilbert. According to B.L.G. the…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom