History of your Surname
Get access to Gilman family records.Start a free trial

Gilman Family History

Gilman Name Meaning

English: from a personal name Old French Guillemin Anglo-Norman French Willemin pet forms of Guillelmes Guillaumes and Willelmes (see William ). Altered form of German Gillmann (see Gillman ).

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


Similar surnames: Gillman, Girman, Kilman, Milman, Hilman, Silman, Tillman, Pigman

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Gilman family from?

You can see how Gilman families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gilman family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gilman families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 88 Gilman families living in Ontario. This was about 32% of all the recorded Gilman's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Gilman families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gilman surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Gilman ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Farmer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Gilman. 43% of Gilman men worked as a Farmer and 25% of Gilman women worked as a Farmer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gilman were Salesman and Bookkeeper. .

View Census Data for Gilman | 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 1921

  • Farmer
    43%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Salesman
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    25%
  • Income
    25%
  • Laborer
    25%
  • Bookkeeper
    25%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Gilman family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 90,000 census records available for the last name Gilman. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gilman census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Gilman

Passenger Lists

There are 11,000 immigration records available for the last name Gilman. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Gilman immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 19,000 military records available for the last name Gilman. For the veterans among your Gilman ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gilman military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gilman family history

Discover More

What is the average Gilman lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Gilman life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 1944. The average life expectancy for Gilman in 1940 was 36, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gilman

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Gilman family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Gilman last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial