How common is the surname Gil?

26,112 people in the United States had the surname Gil in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 11,824 Americans. It ranked 1,353rd of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Gil?

Gilberto Gil, Brazilian recording artist, singer, guitarist, songwriter and politician, followed by Luis Gil.

Where is the surname Gil most common?

Wikidata records people named Gil in Brazil, the United States and Argentina and 3 other countries.

Is the surname Gil getting more or less common?

More common. 19,403 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 26,112 in 2010, up 35%.

Is Gil also a first name?

Yes. Gil is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Gil

A surname, carried by 26,112 people in the United States.

1 syllable Soundex G400 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Gil is more common than 99.2% of them.

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 26,112 people named Gil in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 11,824 Americans. That is up 35% since 2000, when the Census counted 19,403.

#1,353

rank among US surnames

26,112

people in 2010

8.8

per 100,000 Americans

+34.6%

change since 2000 (was #1,691)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#1,344	Kirkpatrick	26,251	11,761
#1,346	Corbett	26,246	11,764
#1,347	Granados	26,187	11,790
#1,348	Rossi	26,183	11,792
#1,349	Goss	26,179	11,794
#1,350	Lott	26,174	11,796
#1,351	Leyva	26,153	11,805

Who is named Gil

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

87% of people named Gil identified as Hispanic or Latino (any race), 11% as white (not Hispanic) and 1.7% as Asian and Pacific Islander.

Hispanic or Latino (any race) 87%
White (not Hispanic) 11%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.7%
Black (not Hispanic) 0.5%
Two or more races 0.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.2%

Compare: most common surnames among Hispanic and Latino Americans.

Famous Gils

12 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Gilberto Gil
Brazilian recording artist, singer, guitarist, songwriter and politician, born 1942
Luis Gil
American soccer player, born 1993
Preta Gil
Brazilian actress and singer (1974–2025)
Goa Gil
American-born musician (1951–2023)
Vincent Gil
Australian actor (1939–2022)
Xavier Gil
Andorran footballer, born 1982
Juan Gil Navarro
Argentine actor, born 1973
Leonardo Gil
Argentinian association football player, born 1991
Juan Gil de Hontañón
Architect, 1480–1526
Gastón Gil Romero
Argentine association football player, born 1993
Raul Gil
Brazilian television presenter and singer, born 1938
Tonho
Brazilian association football player born 1957

Notable Gils come mostly from Brazil (3), the United States (2) and Argentina (2).

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Surnames that sound like Gil

Gil has the Soundex code G400, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code G400.

Questions

How common is the surname Gil?: 26,112 people in the United States had the surname Gil in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 11,824 Americans. It ranked 1,353rd of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Gil?: In the 2010 Census, 87% of people named Gil identified as Hispanic or Latino (any race), and 11% as white (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Gil?: Gilberto Gil, Brazilian recording artist, singer, guitarist, songwriter and politician, followed by Luis Gil.
Where is the surname Gil most common?: Wikidata records people named Gil in Brazil, the United States and Argentina and 3 other countries.
Is the surname Gil getting more or less common?: More common. 19,403 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 26,112 in 2010, up 35%.
Is Gil also a first name?: Yes. Gil is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.