Explore the Family Name Gilchrist
The meaning of Gilchrist
Scottish (western) and Irish (Down): from Gaelic Mac Giolla Chríosd, Mac Gille Chríosd ‘son of the servant of Christ’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Gilchrist in the United States?
Based on data extracted from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Gilchrist saw a slight dip in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 2703rd most common surname but fell to 2811th place by 2010, marking a decline of 4%. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of people with the Gilchrist surname increased by 5.04%, from 12,210 in 2000 to 12,825 in 2010. The proportion per 100,000 also experienced a small decrease of 3.97% during this decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,703 | #2,811 | -4% |
| Count | 12,210 | 12,825 | 5.04% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.53 | 4.35 | -3.97% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gilchrist
The ethnicity associated with the Gilchrist surname also underwent changes between 2000 and 2010, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. While the biggest group identifying with this surname remained those with White ethnic identity at 62.20% (a decrease from 64.22% in 2000), there were significant increases in other groups. People identifying as Hispanic recorded a remarkable increase of 45.70%, making up 2.20% of people with the surname in 2010. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander marked an increase of 37.04% from 2000 to 2010. The percentage of those identifying as two or more races went up by 33.79% to 1.94% in 2010. There was a slight increase among individuals with Black ethnic identity from 32.18% to 32.80%. Lastly, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native rose by 28.95% to make up 0.49% of individuals with the surname in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 64.22% | 62.2% | -3.15% |
| Black | 32.18% | 32.8% | 1.93% |
| Hispanic | 1.51% | 2.2% | 45.7% |
| Two or More Races | 1.45% | 1.94% | 33.79% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.38% | 0.49% | 28.95% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.27% | 0.37% | 37.04% |
Gilchrist ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Gilchrist is British & Irish, which comprises 54.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (17.8%) and Nigerian (4.2%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.6% |
| French & German | 17.8% |
| Nigerian | 4.2% |
| Other | 23.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Gilchrist
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Gilchrist have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 79.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 79.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 79.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 79.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 79.20% |
What Gilchrist haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Gilchrist is R-L21, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L21 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Griffiths, Logan, Davies, Griffith, Jones, Allan, Mcdonald, Lynch, Lloyd, Morgan.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Gilchrist surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Gilchrist have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Gilchrist" Surname 43.0%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Gilchrist" Surname 29.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Gilchrist" Surname 29.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Gilchrist" Surname 17.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Gilchrist?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Gilchrist are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition