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Name Lineage

    The first name Gill

    A boy’s name from Norse meaning “ravine”, “glen”, “joy”.

    Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒɪl/ 1 syllable Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Norse origin

    Gill means “ravine”, “glen”, “joy” in Norse.

    * As an English surname, converged from variants of Giles (sometimes through Dutch), Julian, and William. * As a northern English surname, from Middle English gil (“ravine, glen”), from Old Norse gil. The Old Norse is also a source of the Norwegian surname. * As an Irish and Scottish Gaelic surname, variant of McGill. * Also as an Irish surname, variant of Gall. * As a Jewish/Israeli given name, as well as surname, from Hebrew גיל (“joy”). * As a German surname, variant of Gilger. * As a Sikh Punjabi surname originating in India, from ਗਿੱਲ (gill, “moisture”).

    More names that mean joy.

    Gill is a short form of

    .

    A form of Jill.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Gill at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2006, 5 boys born in the United States were named Gill, the 12,690th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1956, when 44 were.

    02550 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    GirlsBoys
    1,274
    babies named Gill since 1880
    #12,690
    rank in 2006
    1956
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Famous people named Gill

    3 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Gill Swerts
      Belgian association football player, born 1982
    • John Gill Lemmon
      American botanist (ca. 1832—1908)
    • Steven G. Bradbury
      American lawyer, born 1958

    More Norse boys’ names

    All 32 names of Norse origin

    Questions

    What does the name Gill mean?
    Gill means “ravine”, “glen”, “joy” in Norse.
    What is the origin of the name Gill?
    * As an English surname, converged from variants of Giles (sometimes through Dutch), Julian, and William. * As a northern English surname, from Middle English gil (“ravine, glen”), from Old Norse gil. The Old Norse is also a source of the Norwegian surname. * As an Irish and Scottish Gaelic…
    Is Gill a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 96% of the 1,274 US babies named Gill since 1880 were boys.
    When was Gill most popular?
    1956 in the United States, when 44 babies were named Gill, its highest rank at 1,147th.
    How do you pronounce Gill?
    Gill is /ˈd͡ʒɪl/, one syllable.
    What name is Gill a form of?
    Gill is a form of Jill.
    Is Gill also a surname?
    Yes. Gill is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.