Gurney
An English given name derived from the Old French word gournez meaning "protector or guardian".
Name Census estimates that about 227 living Americans carry the first name Gurney. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gurney today is around 77 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gurney births was 1928 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gurney. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Gurney is about 77 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Gurneys were born before 1959.
People living today
227
~ 1 in 1,509,931 Americans
Peak year
1928
26 babies that year
Average age
77
years old
1969 SSA rank
#4,641
Tracked since 1890
Popularity
Gurney: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gurney from the 1890s through to the 1960s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 174 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gurney by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Gurney during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Gurneys live
Origin
Meaning and history of Gurney
Gurney is an English given name that originated in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "gournet," which means "a boy" or "a servant." The name can also be traced back to the Old English word "gyrne," meaning "to desire."
The name Gurney was particularly popular in England during the 12th and 13th centuries. It was often given to servants or boys who worked in noble households. One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is Gurney of Woolavington, a 12th-century English landowner and nobleman.
In the 13th century, the name Gurney appeared in several historical records and texts. For instance, it was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire and the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire. These records documented various individuals with the name Gurney who held land or paid taxes during that time.
One notable figure in history with the name Gurney was Edmund Gurney (1847-1888), an English psychologist and philosopher. He was a leading figure in the study of psychical research and parapsychology. He co-founded the Society for Psychical Research in 1882 and wrote several books on the subject.
Another famous Gurney was Ivor Novello (born Ivor Gurney, 1893-1951), a Welsh composer, playwright, and actor. He wrote numerous successful musicals, including "Glamorous Night" and "The Dancing Years." His songs and shows were popular in the early 20th century.
In the 19th century, Gurney Pasha (1835-1888) was an American-born Ottoman naval officer and politician. He played a significant role in modernizing the Ottoman Navy and served as the Minister of Marine Affairs.
Joseph Gurney (1788-1847) was an English banker, philanthropist, and prominent member of the Quaker community. He campaigned for the abolition of slavery and advocated for prison reform and education for the poor.
Lastly, Gurney E. Newlin (1891-1948) was an American architect known for his work in the Prairie School style. He designed several notable buildings in Los Angeles, including the Carthay Circle Theatre and the Jardinette Apartment Building.
People
Gurney + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gurney as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Gurney: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gurney?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 227 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gurney going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,509,931 US residents.
Is Gurney a common name?
We classify Gurney as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 790 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gurney most popular?
The single biggest year for Gurney was 1928, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gurney is about 77 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Gurney a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gurney in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.