The municipality also included 407 other small islands as well as hundreds of little islets and skerries, all of which are located in the Lofoten archipelago.

[10] The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the island of Gimsøya (Old Norse: Gimista) since the first Gimsøy Church was built there.

On 6 January 1908, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Gimsøy.

At the time of the municipal dissolution, it was part of the Gimsøy prestegjeld and the Lofoten prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland.

The highest point in the municipality is the 818-metre (2,684 ft) tall mountain Breitinden on the island of Austvågøya.

Here is a list of people who have held this position:[14][15] The municipal council (Herredsstyre) of Gimsøy was made up of 15 representatives that were elected to four year terms.