Explore the Family Name Gilson
The meaning of Gilson
1. English: ‘son of Gill’, from a Middle English pet form of either the female name Gillian (Latin Juliana), or of the male names Gilliam, a variant of William, and Giles. + -son. See Gill. 2. English: patronymic meaning ‘son of Giles’, from the personal name Giles + -son. 3. Irish (Down): adopted for Mac Giolla Seanáin, see Gilsenan. 4. Walloon and northern French: from a shortened form of Gilesson, a pet form of the personal name Giles (see Gilles).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Gilson in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Gilson saw a slight shift in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In the year 2000, Gilson was ranked the 4,531st most common surname, but by 2010, it had dropped slightly in rank to 4,846th, representing a change of -6.95%. Despite this drop in rank, the count of individuals bearing the surname Gilson actually increased from 7,197 to 7,271, a growth of 1.03%. However, the proportion of individuals named Gilson per 100,000 people decreased by -7.87%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,531 | #4,846 | -6.95% |
| Count | 7,197 | 7,271 | 1.03% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.67 | 2.46 | -7.87% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gilson
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals nuanced changes over the decade. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander with the surname Gilson grew by 26.39%, while those of Hispanic ethnicity increased by an impressive 46.11%. The number identifying as Black also rose by 10.27%, and American Indian and Alaskan Native by 6.94%. On the other hand, the percentage of individuals with the surname Gilson identifying as White decreased by -1.50%, and those identifying with two or more races also fell slightly by -1.80%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.59% | 91.2% | -1.5% |
| Black | 2.92% | 3.22% | 10.27% |
| Hispanic | 1.93% | 2.82% | 46.11% |
| Two or More Races | 1.11% | 1.09% | -1.8% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.72% | 0.91% | 26.39% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.72% | 0.77% | 6.94% |
Gilson 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 Gilson is British & Irish, which comprises 46.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (27.7%) and Eastern European (6.5%). Additional ancestries include Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Greek & Balkan.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 46.9% |
| French & German | 27.7% |
| Eastern European | 6.5% |
| Other | 18.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Gilson
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 Gilson have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 84.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 84.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 83.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 83.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 83.10% |
What Gilson 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 Gilson is R-Z16294, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z16294 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Bean, Carroll, Troy, Dooley, Maher, Markey, Welch, Maddox, Hart, Kirk.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Gilson 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 Gilson 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.
"Gilson" Surname 36.4%
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.
"Gilson" Surname 23.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Gilson" Surname 28.9%
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.
"Gilson" Surname 17.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Gilson?
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 Gilson are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition