Explore the Family Name Gillen
The meaning of Gillen
1. Irish (Sligo and Antrim): variant of Gillan or a shortened form of McGillen. 2. German: variant of Gilbert. See also Gille 2.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Gillen in the United States?
The Gillen surname has seen its popularity shift slightly in the past decade, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, the name was ranked 4056 in terms of popularity and by 2010, it had slipped slightly to 4188, a minor decrease of about 3.25%. Nevertheless, the count of individuals with the Gillen surname grew from 8054 to 8462 during the same period, seeing an increase of approximately 5.07%. However, when comparing the proportion per 100,000 people, there was a slight drop from 2.99 to 2.87, or a decrease of 4.01%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,056 | #4,188 | -3.25% |
| Count | 8,054 | 8,462 | 5.07% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.99 | 2.87 | -4.01% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gillen
When examining the ethnicity associated with the surname Gillen, using data from the Decennial U.S. Census, we can see some interesting shifts over the decade. The percentage of individuals identifying as White decreased slightly from 91.85% to 90.25%, while those identifying as Hispanic saw an increase from 4.01% to 5.14%. Meanwhile, the representation within the Asian/Pacific Islander community and American Indian and Alaskan Native community remained relatively stable at around 0.77%. There was also a notable increase in individuals identifying as belonging to two or more races, which rose from 0.98% to 1.54%. Conversely, the number of individuals identifying as Black saw a small decrease from 1.69% to 1.54%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 91.85% | 90.25% | -1.74% |
| Hispanic | 4.01% | 5.14% | 28.18% |
| Two or More Races | 0.98% | 1.54% | 57.14% |
| Black | 1.69% | 1.54% | -8.88% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.71% | 0.77% | 8.45% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.76% | 0.77% | 1.32% |
Gillen 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 Gillen is British & Irish, which comprises 54.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.4%) and Eastern European (6.4%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.4% |
| French & German | 23.4% |
| Eastern European | 6.4% |
| Other | 15.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Gillen
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 Gillen have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.60% |
What Gillen 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 Gillen is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-S660 and R-S675, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Dugan, Duggan, Hughes, Herron, Mcelroy, Grady, Craig, Mcbride, Mcginnis, Gibbons.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Gillen surname are: H1, H, U5a1. 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 Gillen 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.
"Gillen" Surname 45.5%
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.
"Gillen" Surname 24.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Gillen" Surname 12.5%
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.
"Gillen" Surname 19.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Gillen?
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 Gillen are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition