Gillis Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Gillis last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Gillis last name
Meaning of the Gillis last name: servant of Jesus. Gillis is a Scottish surname from Gaelic Gille Íosa, "servant of Jesus", a name given to devout followers. The last name belongs to the Highlands and Hebrides. Many families with this surname emigrated to Nova Scotia, where it remains common today.
Arms associated with the Gillis name
In Scottish heraldry, coats of arms associated with the Gillis name are personal, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Gillis family history
This is only a glimpse of the Gillis story. The full Gillis history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Gillis coat of arms. Get the full Gillis report.
Gillis name FAQ
What does the Gillis name mean?
servant of Jesus. Common variants include Gillies, Gilles, MacGillis.
Where does the Gillis surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in Canada, the United States and Australia.
Is there a Gillis coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Gillis coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).