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

Gillard Family History

Gillard Name Meaning

English: from the Middle English personal name Gillard Jillard with initial soft g (/dʒ/) a borrowing of Old French Gillard a pet form of Gille (see Giles and 4 below). Alternatively from the Middle English personal name Gillard which with a hard g (/g/) would be from Old French Guilard corresponding to the Norman form Willard . English: sometimes perhaps an altered form of Gillett . English: sometimes perhaps an altered form of Gerard (Middle English Girard) with r/l substitution. French: from the Old French personal name Gillard a pet form of Gille and Gilles ‘Giles’. French: from the ancient Germanic personal name Gilhard composed of the elements gil ‘ardent’ + hard ‘hard strong’. French: from an assimilated form of the ancient Germanic personal name Gislehard composed of the elements gīsil ‘pledge hostage noble offspring’ (see Giesel ) + hard ‘hard strong’.

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


Similar surnames: Billard, Gilliard, Willard, Pillard, Millard, Allard, Hillard

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 Gillard family from?

You can see how Gillard families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gillard family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gillard families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 136 Gillard families living in Ontario. This was about 59% of all the recorded Gillard's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Gillard families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gillard surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Gillard ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Operator were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Gillard. 28% of Gillard men worked as a Farmer and 27% of Gillard women worked as an Operator. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gillard were Journalier and Domestic. .

View Census Data for Gillard | 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
    28%
  • Labourer
    14%
  • Laborer
    11%
  • Journalier
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Operator
    27%
  • Housekeeper
    20%
  • Saleslady
    14%
  • Domestic
    14%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Gillard family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 74,000 census records available for the last name Gillard. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gillard census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Gillard

Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Gillard. 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 Gillard immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Gillard. For the veterans among your Gillard ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gillard military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gillard family history

Discover More

What is the average Gillard lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Gillard life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1952, and highest in 1968. The average life expectancy for Gillard in 1941 was 52, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gillard

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Gillard family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Gillard last name

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