The Gilchrist surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 12,825 people carried this name — #2,811 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 23,000 people counted. That is up 5% from 12,210 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Gilchrist surname

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Gillechrìosd (“servant of Christ”), from gille + Crìosd.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Gilchrist» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 18 births for the Gilchrist name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 800 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 6 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 12
Leinster 4
Connacht 2

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In the Nordic population registers

26 people named Gilchrist is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 26

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In Scotland, 1880s

Gilchrist was 12 in every 10,000 names in Scotland.

That is about 1 in 833. Its home there, in Guppy’s words: “Over a large part of Scotland, but rare in the north.” He counted the more than 20,000 names in Halliburton’s County Directory of Scotland, taking Scotland as a whole, and listed only the names that reached 10 in every 10,000.

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), appendix: alphabetical list of the most frequent Scottish names, p. 589 — public domain · names in Halliburton’s County Directory of Scotland, per 10,000 for the whole country.

In Scotland’s registers today

Gilchrist was recorded 92 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 280th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 149. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

47 families named Gilchrist, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 275 people lived in those households, 5.9 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 8 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

New York 10
Pennsylvania 10
North Carolina 7
New Hampshire 6
Massachusetts 3
South Carolina 3
Maine 2
Vermont 2
Virginia 2
Connecticut 1
Maryland 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 242 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Gilchrist in American newspapers,
1893–1909.

Newspaper page from The Morning News carrying the name Gilchrist
The Morning News 1893-12-24
Newspaper page from The Jeffersonian carrying the name Gilchrist
The Jeffersonian 1908-06-04
Newspaper page from The Dawson News carrying the name Gilchrist
The Dawson News 1909-12-01

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 91,524 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Gilchrist in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

41,755 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Gilchrist. The most, 7,294, date from the 1920s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 1.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 13,884
New South Wales 13,324
Queensland 5,804
South Australia 3,970
Western Australia 3,569
Tasmania 803
ACT (Canberra) 320
Northern Territory 30

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Gilchrist.

Who carried it

People named Gilchrist,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Gilchrist
    John Gilchrist 1759–1841 · writer
  • James Gilchrist d. 1777 · military officer
  • James Gilchrist d. 1777
  • Margaret Gilchrist d. 1901
  • Vera Colville Gilchrist d. 1963
  • William Gilchrist d. 1954

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Gilchrist,
in the records of 9 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,764 records

1,764 records of the Gilchrist name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 419
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 407
  • Other U.S. records 938
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Ralph J. Gilchrist

    Born 1921 in Missouri. Enlisted 1944 at Jefferson Barracks; driver from St Louis City. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1988, buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record James C. Gilchrist

    Born 1932; from Library, Pennsylvania. U.S. Marine Corps; declared dead 1953 in Korea. Buried at Jefferson Memorial Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record George Gilchrist

    Born 1916 in New York. Enlisted 1943 at Atlantic City, New Jersey; office clerk. U.S. Air Force veteran of World War II; died 1958, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 1,764 records for Gilchrist in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia1,308 records

1,308 records of the Gilchrist name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 774
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 196
  • Other Australian records 338
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record James Gilchrist

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Countess of Harcourt, arriving 1827; ticket of leave 1831. Native of Belfast.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Christinia Gilchrist

    Arrived in Victoria in 1852 aboard the Merlin, as an infant; Scottish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William J. Gilchrist

    Farmer of Watchem, Victoria; died 1948.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,308 records for Gilchrist in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada126 records

126 records of the Gilchrist name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 43
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 26
  • Other Canadian records 57
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Charles William Gilchrist

    Died 1997, aged 67; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Helen Vivian Gilchrist

    Buried in 1985 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 73.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Abigale Jane M. Gilchrist

    Died 1949 in Pictou, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 126 records for Gilchrist in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom118 records

118 records of the Gilchrist name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 80
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 19
  • Other British records 19
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record Robert Niven Gilchrist

    Born 1888 at Fyvie. Served in the First World War. Named in the University of Aberdeen roll of service in the Great War, 1914-1919.

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record James Gilchrist

    Died 1978, aged 71; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Catherine Gilchrist

    Will proved in 1940; of Abergele, Denbigh.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)

Showing 3 of 118 records for Gilchrist in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

New Zealand54 records

54 records of the Gilchrist name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 25
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 13
  • Other New Zealand records 16
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William James Gilchrist

    Died 1952, aged 69; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Mabel Susan Gilchrist

    Born 1896, died 1983; ashes interred at Oxford Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record J. Gilchrist

    New Zealand Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 54 records for Gilchrist in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Canterbury Maps (Environment Canterbury), Timaru and Mackenzie District Councils (CC BY 3.0 NZ) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

Ireland2 records

2 records of the Gilchrist name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Patricia Gilchrist

    Died 1995, aged 48; buried at Clontuskert, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Patrick Gilchrist

    Died 1991; buried at Clontuskert, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Gilchrist name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Bruno Christian Marly Gilchrist

    Born 1977 in the United States; died 1995 in Bordeaux (Gironde).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Gilchrist name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Isabella Margaret Gilchrist

    In the population register of 's-Gravenhage; born 1890 in Madras.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Norway1 record

1 record of the Gilchrist name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Lina Gilchrist

    Census of 1910: Mesnaliens kursted, Ringsaker.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Gilchrist.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Gilchrist is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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