Find out how popular the last name Gainey is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Gainey.

Gainey, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Gainey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gainey in America

Gainey is the 4140th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gainey surname appeared 8,556 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Gainey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gainey to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Gainey

The surname Gainey originated in England, with records dating back to the early 12th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the village of Gainey, located in the county of Yorkshire. The name is thought to have evolved from the Old English words "gegn," meaning "against," and "ey," meaning "island" or "dry ground surrounded by marsh."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Gaineie." This reference suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various records as "Gaynay," "Gainey," and "Gaineye," reflecting the variations in spelling common during that period. One notable bearer of the name was William Gainey, who was mentioned in the Yorkshire Feet of Fines records in 1293.

During the 16th century, the name spread to other parts of England, including Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. In 1537, a record from the Charters of Grimsby mentions a John Gainey, who held land in the area.

In the 17th century, the surname gained prominence with the birth of John Gainey (1636-1690), a prominent English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Badwell Ash in Suffolk.

Another notable figure was Sir Roger Gainey (1714-1789), a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War.

As the British Empire expanded, the surname spread to various colonies and territories. In the 18th century, records show the presence of the Gainey family in North America, with individuals such as Thomas Gainey (1745-1812), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Virginia.

Other notable bearers of the surname include James Gainey (1810-1891), an American politician who served as a member of the Arkansas State Senate, and Mary Gainey (1884-1962), a Canadian artist and painter known for her landscape paintings of the Canadian Rockies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gainey

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Gainey.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Gainey was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Gainey has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Gainey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gainey, please contact us.

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