Given name & surname
Gill
“a servant”
Gill is used as a given name and a surname. One interpretation is “a servant.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One interpretation is “a servant.”
Where it comes from
In English use, Gill is a diminutive of William. William is an English form of a Germanic name brought to England by the Normans. In English use, Gill is a diminutive of Giles. Giles has been associated with Late Latin and Greek naming traditions. In English use, Gill is a diminutive of Julian. An origin associated with Julian is Greek.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English use, Gill is used as a shortened form of Gil.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1884. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Gill is a diminutive of William. The history of William gives this family its wider story. William spread widely in England after the Norman Conquest, among people beyond the Norman ruling class. William remained prominent through the Middle Ages and became a royal name in England, Germany, and the Netherlands. In English use, Gill is a diminutive of Giles. The history of Giles gives this family its wider story. Giles was in use during the Middle Ages.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Gill through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,274
- 1,218 boys · 56 girls
- Most popular year
- 1956
- 52 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 2006. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 44 in 1956. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,440 as a first name in 2020; 75,535 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Gill’s family of names
In English usage, Gill is a diminutive of William. In English usage, Gill has a surname derivative in Gillatt. In English usage, Gill has a related form in Jill.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Gill has relatives in 3 languages. Lines run from its Irish roots to each of them.
15 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 26
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 7
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Gill
- Gill MarcusSouth African bankerborn 1949
- Gill SwertsBelgian association football playerborn 1982
- Gill DeaconCanadian writer and broadcasterborn 1966
- Gill DennisAmerican film director and screenwriter (1941–2015)
- Gill FurnissBritish politician (born 1957)
- Gill Robb WilsonAmerican pilot (1892-1966)
- Gill BurnsEnglish rugby union playerborn 1964
- Gill RosenbergCanadian mercenaryborn 1983
- Gill BrownOlympic field hockey playerborn 1965
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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