21,209 GILLIS members around the world

GILLIS Family History

Recorded in many spellings including Giles, Gillis, Gills, Gyles, Jiles, Jills, Jellis, Jealous, and Jolliss, this is an Anglo-Scottish surname. It is however ultimately of Ancient Greek and then French origin, and a short form of "Aegidius", meaning "a wearer of the goatskin". This was a reference to a holy man, or somebody who did good works. St. Giles (originally Aegidius) left Greece to become a hermit in France, and was only discovered when the hind from whose milk he lived, was pursued to his hermitage by a royal hunting party.