Gilstrap
An English-looking surname often explained as a place-name form ending in a reduced version of -thorpe or -trap, though its exact origin is not certain.
The #6,808 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 62,322 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is usually treated as an altered form of an older place-name surname, with the second element reduced in pronunciation and spelling over time. In older surname studies, it has been grouped with names that end in forms like -thorp, -trip, or -trap, which often descend from Scandinavian place-name elements meaning a farm, settlement, or outlying homestead. The first element is likely a personal name or local feature, but the historical record is not clear enough to fix a single confident original form.
History
The surname appears in English surname discussions as one of several names showing heavy dialectal or scribal reshaping. Later bearers spread beyond Britain, and the name is now found especially in the United States, where it is uncommon but established. Because the earliest form is uncertain, different family lines may not all share the same precise origin story.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Surname scholars have noticed that Gilstrap belongs to a small cluster of names whose endings can look very different on paper while still reflecting the same underlying sound pattern.
From the historical record
“Gilson. FI. ; p.n. See Gill Gilstrap. See Gelsthorpe Gilyard. A.S. Gislheard (strong hostage) ; Fr. Gilliard ; p.n. Goilard, Hugt. n., Lond. 1687 Gimlett. Fr. Gimlette. A Hugue¬ not n., Lond. 1618. Dim. of”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)