Giles

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ORIGIN AND HISTORY

Giles is the English form of Gilles, the French form of Aegidius (Egidius to Gidie to Gile to Gilles), a Latin name from Aigidios or Aegidius and a Greek name meaning either young goat from “aigidion” or the carrier of a goat-skinned shield – as in battle or for protection. ^[1][1]

POPULARITY

According to the Social Security Administration, Giles is not in the top 1000 names for any year of birth in the last 15 years.

However, Giles does rank internationally in popularity as follows:

283rd - as a boy's name in Australia (New South Wales) (1998) 365th - as a boy's name in Australia (New South Wales) (2003) 537th - as a boy's name in Australia (New South Wales) (1997) 564th - as a boy's name in Australia (New South Wales) (2001) 2772nd - as a boy's name in Belgium (2002) ^[1]

FACTS

• St. Giles was a hermit who lived from c. 650 – c. 710 in what is now France (from areas of the Rhone to Provence). Although ultimately respected by local leaders and others, he was once shot with an arrow and became the patron saint of cripples. Despite his self ostracization, he developed followers impressed with his sacrifice and piety. ^[1]
• Giles is very often mispronounced, especially in the United States. The correct pronunciation is jeel or jeels and not phonetically as guy-els
• Giles Corey was the only man convicted and murdered but not hanged by those administering the Salem witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts. (Despite some confusion, no "witches" were burned during the Salem trials held in 1692 and 1693.) Of the fourteen women and six men sentenced to death and executed, all were hanged except for Giles Corey. He was crushed under boulders during a period of three days in an attempt to elicit a confession from him. He did not confess. His name as a character is featured in most of the subsequent books and plays written on the trials including Arthur Miller's "The Crucible."^[1]

NAMESAKES

• Giles County, TN Population (1990): 25741
• Giles County, VA Population (1990): 16366 ^[1]

FAMOUS PERSONS

• Saint Giles, 7th-8th century Christian hermit saint
• Giles of Assisi, Aegidius of Assisi, 13th century companion of St. Francis of Assisi
• Giles of Rome, 13th century archbishop
• Giles Blunt (born 1952), Canadian novelist and screenwriter
• Gyles Brandreth (born 1948), British author
• Giles Coren (born 1969), British journalist
• Giles Corey (1621-1692), victim of the Salem witch trials
• Giles Gilbert Scott (1880-1960), British architect^[1]