# Gilchrist (surname)

Gilchrist is a surname of Gaelic language origins. In many cases it is derived from a Scottish Gaelic name, Gille Chrìost, Gille Chriosd, meaning "servant of Christ" (i.e. gilla "servant", chriosd "Christ"). Surnames of similar origins include MacGilchrist and McGilchrist, which are usually derived from Mac Giolla Chriosd or, literally, "son of the servant of Christ". Early, semi-anglicised versions of the surname, recorded include Geilchreist, Gilchryst, Gillchreist, Gillcryst, Mcillchreist and Mylchrest.
In Orkneyinga saga, chapter 63, Haraldr Gilli Magnússon, king of Norway from 1130–1136, is first introduced under the name of Gilli-kristr, obviously a Norse version of Gilchrist.
In many, perhaps most, cases, people with these surnames are descendants of the Scottish Clan Gilchrist, a sept of Clan MacLachlan.

## People

* Adam Gilchrist (born 1971), Australian cricketer
* Albert W. Gilchrist (1858–1926), governor of Florida
* Alexander Gilchrist (1828–1861), British biographer
* Alfie Gilchrist (born 2003), British footballer
* Alfred J. Gilchrist (1872–1931), New York politician
* Andrew Gilchrist (1910–1993), UK ambassador to Iceland, Indonesia and Ireland
* Anne Gilchrist (disambiguation), several people
   * Anne Gilchrist (writer) (1828–1885), English writer
   * Anne Gilchrist (collector) (1863–1954), British folk-song collector
* Annie Somers Gilchrist (1841-1912), American writer
* Augustus Gilchrist (born 1989), American basketball player
* Brent Gilchrist (born 1967), Canadian ice hockey player
* Bruce Gilchrist (1930–2015), Notable figure in modern computing
* Charles W. Gilchrist, Montgomery County, Maryland politician
* Cameron Gilchrist, Scottish footballer
* Charlotte Gilchrist (b. c. 1834), Maryland slave escaped to Canada
* Connie Gilchrist (1901–1985), American stage and screen actress
* Connie Gilchrist, Countess of Orkney (1865–1946), child actor and artist's model
* Cookie Gilchrist (1935–2011), American football player
* Craig Gilchrist (born 1970), South African basketball coach and former player
* Donald Gilchrist (1922–2017), Canadian figure skater paired with Marlene Smith
* Ellen Gilchrist (born 1935), American novelist
* Emma Gilchrist, Canadian journalist
* Garlin Gilchrist (born 1982), lieutenant governor of Michigan
* Gordon Gilchrist (born 1985) Scottish Artist
* Gordon Gilchrist (born 1928), Canadian politician
* Grant Gilchrist (born 1990), Scottish rugby union player
* Guy Gilchrist, American cartoonist
* Harald Gilchrist, the 19th/20th king of Norway during the Civil War Era
* James Gilchrist (tenor), tenor
* Jeremy Gilchrist (born 1986), US and Canadian football wide receiver
* Jim Gilchrist (born 1949), founder of the Minutemen Project
* John Gilchrist (disambiguation), several people
   * John Gilchrist (actor) (born 1968), former child actor
   * John Gilchrist (basketball) (born 1985), American basketball player
   * John Gilchrist (cricketer) (born 1932), English cricketer
   * John Gilchrist (footballer, born 1900) (1900–1950), Scottish footballer
   * John Gilchrist (footballer, born 1939) (1939–1991), Scottish footballer
   * John Gilchrist (judge) (1809–1858), American judge
   * John Gilchrist (linguist) (1759–1841), Scottish surgeon and Indologist
   * John Gilchrist (New Zealand politician) (1872–1947), political activist
   * John Gilchrist (Province of Canada politician) (1792–1859), politician in Province of Canada
   * John Gilchrist (zoologist) (1866–1926), Scottish South African ichthyologist
* Joyce Gilchrist (1948–2015), American forensic chemist
* Keir Gilchrist, British-Canadian actor
* Lara Gilchrist, Canadian actress
* Len Gilchrist (1881–1958), English footballer
* Maeve Gilchrist, Scottish harpist and composer
* Marcus Gilchrist, American football player
* Maude Gilchrist (1861–1952), American botanist, college dean
* Michael Gilchrist (born 1960), New Zealand athlete
* Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (born 1993), American basketball player
* Nathan Gilchrist, English cricketer
* Percy Gilchrist (1851–1935), British chemist and metallurgist
* Robert Murray Gilchrist (1867–1917), horror writer
* Rosetta Luce Gilchrist (1850–1921), American physician, writer
* Roy Gilchrist (1934–2001), West Indies cricketer
* Stephen Gilchrist, English drummer
* Stephen Gilchrist Glover (born 1974), American television personality Steve-O
* Steve Gilchrist (born 1954), Canadian politician
* William Gilchrist (disambiguation), several people
** William W. Gilchrist (1846–1916), American composer, musician
** William W. Gilchrist Jr. (1879–1926) American painter
** William Sidney Gilchrist (1901–1970), Canadian medical missionary to Angola

### Given name

* Sidney Gilchrist Thomas, British inventor
* Caroline Gilchrist Rhea, American actress, stand-up comedian