Jill History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The distinguished Jill family, which is intricately woven into the intricate tapestry of Scottish history, probably finds its origin with the proud Norman people.

However, Gille or Gillebert (fl. 1105-1145), Bishop of Limerick, "termed by Keating Giolla Easbog, was consecrated in Ireland, but it is uncertain whether he was an Irishman or a Dane, Limerick being then a Danish city. " 1

How this very early entry fits into the history of the family is uncertain, but we include in as a point of reference.

Early Origins of the Jill family

The surname Jill was first found in Yorkshire, where the Domesday Book of 1086 listed Ghille, Ghile, Ghil. 2 Gamel filius Gille was a Knights Templar in Yorkshire in 1185. Johannes films Gille was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1297. 3

Some of the family were also found in Lincolnshire where Henricus filius Gllli, Gille was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1200. Two years later, Ralph, Robert Gille was listed in the Assize Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1202.

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: Richard filius Gille, Cambridgeshire; Gille Hulle, Cambridgeshire; and Roger Gille, Oxfordshire. 4

Henry Gille moved the family name to Cumberland in 1200 and the family gave its name to the village of Gilsland, a watering-place, in the parish of Lanercost-Abbey, Eskdale ward, E. division of Cumberland. 5

And it is this branch of the family that we will now focus. "A tradition held by members of the Aberdeen [Scotland] family of this name is that they came originally from Cumberland, where at an early period they owned lands, among others the barony of Gillsland. Gilsland, one of three original baronies in Cumberland, is spelled Gillesland in 1240, and may have been the possession of one Gilli or Gille. Gilli is an old West Scandinavian personal name, borrowed at an earlier period directly from OG. gilla, 'a servant,' or from a pet form of one of the numerous Gaelic names in Gilla-, as Gillebride, Gillechrist, etc. The abbreviated form was not used by Gaels as a proper name, but such usage originated among the Vikings in the West. The surname is of great antiquity on both sides of the Border. Gille filius Boed was one of the witnesses to Earl David's Inquisitio concerning the lands of the church of Glasgow, a. 1124. This Gille son of Boed or Boet stands on a pedestal unique, perhaps in Scottish history, as the last Scottish chieftain to hold sway in England against the power of the Norman." 6

Indeed the lion's share of the family claim Scotland as their homeland.

Early History of the Jill family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jill research. Another 202 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1241, 1296, 1328, 1330, 1333, 1366, 1369, 1389, 1460, 1564, 1565, 1583, 1586, 1589, 1597, 1635, 1642, 1658, 1659, 1690, 1697, 1771 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Jill History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jill Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Gill, Gille, Gills, Gilles, Gyll, Gylls and others.

Early Notables of the Jill family

Notable among the family at this time was Alexander Gill the Elder (1565-1635), High-Master of St. Paul's School, born in Lincolnshire 7 Feb. 1564, was admitted scholar of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, in September 1583, and proceeded B.A. 1586...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Jill Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jill Ranking

In New Zealand, the name Jill is the 898^th most popular surname with an estimated 816 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Jill family to Ireland

Some of the Jill family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Jill family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Arthur Gill, a shipwright, who landed in Dorchester in 1639; Alexander Gill settled in Virginia in 1624; Arthur Gill settled in Maine in 1630; Henry Gill settled in South Carolina in 1716.

Contemporary Notables of the name Jill (post 1700) +

Barbara Jill Walters (1929-2022), American three-time Daytime Emmy Award winning, twenty-two-time nominated broadcast journalist and author, inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1989
Ms. Emma Jill Nottingham O.B.E., British recipient of the Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for services to British foreign policy 8
Mrs. Alison Jill Baptiste C.B.E. (b. 1965), British Flood and Coastal Risk Management Director for Environment Agency, was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for services to the Environment by Her Majesty The Queen 8
Elizabeth Jill Filkin CBE (1940-1999), British public functionary and former civil servant, Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards (1999-2002)
Frances Jill McIvor CBE (b. 1930), the first Northern Irish woman Ombudsman and Commissioner for Complaints (1991 to 1993)
Elizabeth Jill Cowley (b. 1940), British botanist
Marjorie Jill Pettis (b. 1952), New Zealand politician
Valerie Jill Haworth (1945-2011), English actress
Jill Tracy Jacobs Biden (b. 1951), née Jacobs, an American educator, First Lady of the United States (2021-), Second Lady of the United States (2009-2017)
Jill Isner, American visual effects specialist, known for Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and Avengers: Endgame (2019)

The Jill Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: In te Domine spes nostra
Motto Translation: Our hope is in thee, O Lord

Citations +

Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists