Unisex · #5,563 in 2026

Gillie

Gillie or ghillie is an ancient Gaelic term for a person who acts as a servant or attendant on a fishing, hunting, deer stalking or hawking expedition, primarily in the Scottish Highlands or on a river such as the River Spey. In origin it referred especially to someone who attended on behalf of his male employer or guests.

Current Rank
#5,563
Peak Rank
#813 (1896)
Total Babies
322
5-Yr Trend
Stable
👧 Girl peak #813 (322 total)
👦 Boy peak #2,002 (191 total)
👧As Girl Name
1881
First Year
1952
Last Year
1896
Peak Year
#813
Peak Rank
322
Total Count
41
Years Active
👦As Boy Name
1894
First Year
1990
Last Year
1929
Peak Year
#2002
Peak Rank
191
Total Count
27
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Gillie

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Gillie or ghillie is an ancient Gaelic term for a person who acts as a servant or attendant on a fishing, hunting, deer stalking or hawking expedition, primarily in the Scottish Highlands or on a river such as the River Spey. In origin it referred especially to someone who attended on behalf of his male employer or guests.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
The origin of this word dates from the late 16th century, from the Scottish Gaelic gille , "lad, servant", cognate with the Irish giolla . Historically, the term was used for a Highland chief's attendant. A ghillie-weetfit , a term now obsolete (a translation of "gille-caisfliuch", from the Gaelic cos 'foot' or 'leg', and fliuch 'wet'), was the ghillie whose duty was to carry his master over streams. It became a term of contempt among the Lowlanders for the "tail" (as his attendants were called) of a Highland chief.

The Story of Gillie

As a girl name

Gillie first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1881, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1896, when 16 Gillies were born — ranking #813 that year. As of 2026, Gillie ranks #5,563 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 322 Gillies have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Gillie first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1894, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1929, when 15 Gillies were born — ranking #2,002 that year. As of 2026, Gillie ranks #8,115 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 191 Gillies have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Gillie

Phonetically similar names — useful when Gillie is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Gilly
  • Ghillie
  • Gilley
  • Gully
  • Gally
  • Gulley
  • Gelly
  • Geli
  • Gelli
  • Gelee
  • Goalie
  • Golly

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Gillie

What does the name Gillie mean?
Gillie or ghillie is an ancient Gaelic term for a person who acts as a servant or attendant on a fishing, hunting, deer stalking or hawking expedition, primarily in the Scottish Highlands or on a river such as the River Spey. In origin it referred especially to someone who attended on behalf of his male employer or guests.
How popular is Gillie in 2026?
In 2026, Gillie ranks #5,563 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Gillie most popular?
Gillie reached its peak popularity in 1896, ranking #813 that year with 16 babies given the name.
Is Gillie a unisex name?
Yes — Gillie is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 63% of Gillies assigned female and 37% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Gillie?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Gillie include Alwina, Ivie, Beaulah. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧 Similar Girl Names

👧
Alwina
Peak #813
👧
Ivie
Peak #813
👧
Beaulah
Peak #813
👧
Hazelle
Peak #813

👦 Similar Boy Names

👦
Lowery
Peak #2002
👦
Emmerson
Peak #2002
👦
Treavor
Peak #2002
👦
Tavarus
Peak #2002

About the name Gillie

Gillie is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1881 and has accumulated 322 births in the dataset. Gillie's peak popularity came in 1896 when it ranked #813. Use the chart and map above to compare Gillie's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.