GILLIES
Gillies is a surname of Scottish origin, deriving from the Gaelic personal names MacGilleEasbuig and Gille Iosa. The former translates literally to son of the servant of the bishop, while the latter means servant of Jesus. Both forms are recorded as patronymic, indicating that the name originally identified the descendants of an individual who served a bishop or who was an early Christian follower.
The earliest attestation of the name appears in Scotland in 1128, when a person recorded as Gillise witnessed a charter issued by King David I to the abbey of Holyrood. Other early instances include Gylis filius Angus – known as Angus the shoemaker – who paid homage to the prior and convent of St. Andrews at Dull in 1264. The name was most frequently found in the Hebrides and in western Scotland, and it is also present in the historical rent books of the city of Glasgow (1521) in the form of John Gyliss.
Over time the name evolved into several Anglicised spellings. Recorded variants include Gillie, Gillis, Gillison and Gillies. The prefix Mac or Mc, meaning “son of”, produced forms such as McAleese, McAleece, McAlish, McLeish, McLeos, McLese and McLise, all of which ultimately derive from the original Mac gill Iosa. A contemporary example of the surname in an official capacity is Lord Gillies (1760–1842), appointed Judge of the Exchequer in 1837.
In the 18th century, individuals bearing the name emigrated from Scotland to the Americas. One notable example is Robert Gillies, who sailed from Greenock on the ship Lovely Betsy to Boston in August 1766. Subsequent diasporic movements brought the surname to Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other English‑speaking countries.
Today the surname remains most prevalent in Scotland, particularly within the Highlands and the western isles. It is also found in parts of England adjacent to the Scottish border. Despite its fairly widespread geographic distribution, the name is not among the most common Scottish surnames, reflecting its specific occupational and regional origins in the medieval Church and Gaelic society.
Typical given names associated with the Gillies surname
Male
- Alexander
- Andrew
- David
- Donald
- Ian
- James
- John
- Robert
- Stuart
- William
Female
- Alison
- Anne
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Jane
- Jennifer
- Margaret
- Mary
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Gillies in...
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There are approximately 7,046 people named Gillies in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,337th most common surname in Britain. Around 108 in a million people in Britain are named Gillies.
Surname type: Diminutive
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Scotland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Gillies
- Daniel Gillies - Canadian-born New Zealand actor
- Elizabeth Gillies - American actress, singer and dancer
- Matt Gillies - Scottish football player and manager (1921 to 1998)
- Anne Lorne Gillies - Scottish singer, writer, broadcaster and politician
- Fiona Gillies - Actress
- Ricky Gillies - Scottish football player
- Campbell Gillies - Jockey (1990 to 2012)
- Alasdair Gillies - Musician (1963 to 2011)
- Josh Gillies - Football player
- John Gillies - Football player (1918 to 1991)
- John Gillies - Scottish anaesthetist (1895 to 1976)
- Donnie Gillies - Scottish football player
- Craig Gillies - Rugby union player
- Phil Gillies - Canadian politician
- Margaret Gillies - Scottish painter (1803 to 1887)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.