A common English surname, sometimes used as a first name; also historically a unit of liquid measure called a 'gill' with variant spelling.
As a surname, it derives from the given name Giles, which comes from Latin 'Aegidius.' The name was popular in medieval England due to Saint Giles, a patron saint.
Saint Giles is the patron saint of disabled people and lepers—he's depicted with an arrow through his leg, and medieval people honored his compassion for the suffering, which is why the name was so popular across Europe!
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