2000
#4,025
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,099
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.00
Rare Last name
Gainey
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Gaoithín," meaning "descendant of Gaoithín," a personal name meaning "little wise one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,989 Americans carry the last name Gainey. That puts it at #4,374 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,130 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gainey surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Gainey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.0K
1 in 38,130
Census rank
#4,374
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,839 bearers of the surname Gainey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4374th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gainey, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.3%. The next largest groups are Black (27.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gainey
Among Census respondents with the surname Gainey, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.3%. The next largest groups are Black (27.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Gainey bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Gainey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.3% · 5,043
- Black or African American27.9% · 2,186
- Two or more races4.5% · 354
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 180
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 41
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gainey
Gainey appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#4,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,556
+457 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 2.90
Rank movement Down 115 places
2020
#4,374
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,839
-717 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 2.62
Rank movement Down 234 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,025 | 8,099 | 3.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,140 | 8,556 | 2.90 | +457 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 115 places |
| 2020 | #4,374 | 7,839 | 2.62 | -717 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 234 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Gainey surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,140 | #4,374 | -5.7% |
| Count | 8,556 | 7,839 | -8.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.90 | 2.62 | -9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gainey bearers went from 8,556 to 7,839 (-8.4% change). The surname moved down 234 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,140 to #4,374.
FAQ
Gainey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gainey?
Name Census estimates that about 8,989 living Americans carry the surname Gainey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,130 residents.
How common is Gainey?
Gainey ranks #4,374 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,839 people with the surname Gainey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,989), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Gainey.
Has Gainey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gainey went from 8,556 recorded bearers to 7,839. That is a decrease of 717 (-8.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,140 to #4,374.
What does the Census say about the background of Gainey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gainey, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.3%. The next largest groups are Black (27.9%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gainey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.3% (5,043 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gainey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.3%), Black (27.9%), Two or More Races (4.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Gainey (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Gainey mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Gaoithín," meaning "descendant of Gaoithín," a personal name meaning "little wise one." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Gainey (2.62 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Gainey?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Gainey, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.