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

Similar surnames: Wilson, Gillon, Filson, Gipson, Bilson, Gibson, Dillon, Gillen, Hilson, Ritson

105K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
11K	Military Records
10K	Immigration Records
95K	Census and Voter Lists
185K	Member Trees

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

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.

View Census Data for Gilson

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.

Farmer

43%

Labourer

11%

Laborer

Clerk

21%

Housekeeper

14%

Operator

14%

Housewife

11%

What Gilson family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 95K 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 List

There are 10K 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

Military Records

There are 11K 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Gilson family tree

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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

Where is the Gilson family from?

What did your Gilson ancestors do for a living?

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.

Farmer

43%

Labourer

11%

Laborer

Clerk

21%

Housekeeper

14%

Operator

14%

Housewife

11%

What Gilson family records will you find?

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.

Gilson Family History

Gilson Surname Meaning

407,000 record(s) for Gilson

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

Where is the Gilson family from?

What did your Gilson ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Top Female Occupations In 1921

What Gilson family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Gilson family history

What is the average Gilson lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Gilson family tree

Search for another surname

Gilson Surname Meaning

407,000 record(s) for Gilson

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

Where is the Gilson family from?

What did your Gilson ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Top Female Occupations In 1921

What Gilson family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Gilson family history

What is the average Gilson lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Gilson family tree

Search for another surname