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

Gillis Family History

Gillis Name Meaning

Scottish (western) and Irish (Ulster): Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Gille Iosa Irish Giolla Íosa ‘servant of Jesus’ or a shortened form from Mac Gille Íosa or Mac Giolla Íosa ‘son of the servant of Jesus’. Compare McLeish . The usual spelling in Scotland is Gillies . Flemish Dutch and Walloon: from the personal name Gillis a Flemish equivalent and Walloon variant of French and Walloon Gilles .

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


Similar surnames: Gill, Gillen, Gillig, Gilpin, Millis, Giblin, Gilliss, Gilles, Gallik

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 Gillis family from?

You can see how Gillis families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gillis family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gillis families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 1,607 Gillis families living in Nova Scotia. This was about 63% of all the recorded Gillis's in Canada. Nova Scotia had the highest population of Gillis families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gillis surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Gillis ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Farmer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Gillis. 48% of Gillis men worked as a Farmer and 14% of Gillis women worked as a Farmer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gillis were Miner and Servant. .

View Census Data for Gillis | 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
    48%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Laborer
    6%
  • Miner
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    14%
  • Teacher
    12%
  • Housekeeper
    9%
  • Servant
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Gillis family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 115,000 census records available for the last name Gillis. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gillis census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Gillis

Passenger Lists

There are 19,000 immigration records available for the last name Gillis. 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 Gillis immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 21,000 military records available for the last name Gillis. For the veterans among your Gillis ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gillis military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gillis family history

Discover More

What is the average Gillis lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Gillis life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Gillis in 1940 was 66, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gillis

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Gillis family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Gillis last name

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