Explore the Family Name Gilliam
The meaning of Gilliam
English: from the Middle English personal name Gill(i)am, Gillem, Old French Guillaume, a Parisian form of Will(i)am (see William).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Gilliam in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Gilliam has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Gilliam was the 1,141st most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010 it had fallen to 1,204th place, marking a 5.52% drop. Despite this fall in rank, the actual count of people bearing the surname increased by 4.77%, from 28,075 in 2000 to 29,414 in 2010. However, when compared to the total population, the proportion per 100,000 people decreased by 4.23%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,141 | #1,204 | -5.52% |
| Count | 28,075 | 29,414 | 4.77% |
| Proportion per 100k | 10.41 | 9.97 | -4.23% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gilliam
The Decennial U.S. Census also provides insight into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Gilliam. The largest ethnicity group identified as White, although their percentage decreased slightly from 63.43% in 2000 to 60.55% in 2010. The second-largest group identified as Black, with a small increase from 32.91% in 2000 to 34.14% in 2010. The ethnicity with the biggest percentage increase was Hispanic, rising from 1.14% in 2000 to 1.92% in 2010, which is a significant 68.42% increase. Meanwhile, representation of Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaskan Native, and those identifying with two or more races also saw increases.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 63.43% | 60.55% | -4.54% |
| Black | 32.91% | 34.14% | 3.74% |
| Two or More Races | 1.82% | 2.45% | 34.62% |
| Hispanic | 1.14% | 1.92% | 68.42% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.45% | 0.55% | 22.22% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.25% | 0.39% | 56% |
Gilliam 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 Gilliam is British & Irish, which comprises 55.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (19.7%) and Nigerian (6.1%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, and Angolan & Congolese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.5% |
| French & German | 19.7% |
| Nigerian | 6.1% |
| Other | 18.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Gilliam
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 Gilliam have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 82.80% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 82.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 82.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 82.60% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 82.00% |
What Gilliam 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 Gilliam is R-Z209, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z209 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS4466 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Burke, Bernard, Hurley, Lomax, Burk, Goss, Backus, Vickers, Shelby, Manuel.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Gilliam 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 Gilliam 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.
"Gilliam" Surname 44.7%
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.
"Gilliam" Surname 23.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Gilliam" Surname 23.2%
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.
"Gilliam" Surname 20.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Gilliam?
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 Gilliam are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition