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Gilson Family History

Gilson Surname Meaning

English: ‘son of Gill’ from a Middle English pet form of either the female name Gillian (Latin Juliana) or of the male names Gilliam, a variant of William, and Giles. + -son.

See Gill. English: patronymic meaning ‘son of Giles’ from the personal name Giles + -son.

Irish (Down): adopted for Mac Giolla Seanáin see Gilsenan.

Walloon and northern French: from a shortened form of Gilesson, a pet form of the personal name Giles (see Gilles).

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


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Where is the Gilson family from?

You can see how Gilson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gilson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gilson families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 228 Gilson families living in Ontario. This was about 57% of all the recorded Gilson's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Gilson families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gilson surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Gilson ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Gilson. 43% of Gilson men worked as a Farmer and 21% of Gilson women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gilson were Clerk and Housewife.

View Census Data for Gilson | 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
    11%
  • Laborer
    7%
  • Clerk
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Clerk
    21%
  • Housekeeper
    14%
  • Operator
    14%
  • Housewife
    11%

What Gilson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 95,000 census records available for the last name Gilson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gilson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Gilson

Passenger Lists

There are 10,000 immigration records available for the last name Gilson. 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 Gilson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 11,000 military records available for the last name Gilson. For the veterans among your Gilson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gilson military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gilson family history

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What is the average Gilson lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Gilson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Gilson in 1942 was 39, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gilson

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gilson ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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