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Gillespie Family History

Gillespie Name Meaning

Scottish and Irish (Donegal): shortened Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac Gille Easbuig borrowed into Irish as Mac Giolla Easpaig a patronymic from a personal name meaning ‘servant of the bishop’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Gilleran, Gillispie, Gillaspie, Gillis, Gilpin, Glaspie, Gillen

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Gillespie family from?

You can see how Gillespie families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gillespie family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gillespie families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 349 Gillespie families living in Lancashire. This was about 28% of all the recorded Gillespie's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Gillespie families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gillespie surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Gillespie ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Gillespie. 17% of Gillespie men worked as a General Labourer and 69% of Gillespie women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gillespie were Incapacitated and Incapacitated. .

View Census Data for Gillespie | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    17%
  • Postman
    5%
  • Cowman
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    69%
  • Housewife
    4%
  • Private Means
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    2%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Gillespie family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 250,000 census records available for the last name Gillespie. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gillespie census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Australian census records for Gillespie

Passenger Lists

There are 45,000 immigration records available for the last name Gillespie. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Australia, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Gillespie immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 50,000 military records available for the last name Gillespie. For the veterans among your Gillespie ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gillespie military records

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What is the average Gillespie lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Gillespie life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Gillespie in 1942 was 38, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gillespie

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