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

Ganley, 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 Ganley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ganley in America

Ganley is the 14946th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ganley surname appeared 1,979 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ganley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ganley 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 Ganley

The surname Ganley is believed to have originated in Ireland, specifically in the regions of County Mayo and County Galway. It is thought to be derived from the Irish Gaelic word "gann," meaning "scarce" or "rare," combined with the diminutive suffix "-ley." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive term for someone who was perceived as being scarce or rare in some aspect.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ganley can be traced back to the 16th century. In the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle compiled by Irish Franciscan friars in the early 17th century, there is a reference to a family named Ó Gainlídh (anglicized as Ganley) residing in the area of Erris, County Mayo, during the late 16th century.

The Ganley name also appears in various land records and historical documents from the 17th and 18th centuries in counties Mayo and Galway. For instance, in the 1659 Census of Ireland, there are several entries for individuals with the surname Ganley in the parish of Crossboyne, County Mayo.

Notably, the Ganley family was prominently associated with the town of Belmullet, County Mayo, where they held significant landholdings and influence. One notable figure from this lineage was Dominick Ganley (1685-1763), who served as a member of the Irish Parliament for the constituency of County Mayo in the early 18th century.

Another notable individual bearing the Ganley name was Sir John Ganley (1779-1852), an Irish-born military officer who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars. He distinguished himself in various battles, including the Battle of Waterloo, and was knighted for his service.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several members of the Ganley family played influential roles in the Irish nationalist movement. One such figure was John Ganley (1855-1922), a prominent Irish republican and member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, who actively supported the cause of Irish independence.

While the surname Ganley is primarily associated with Ireland, it has also been carried by individuals of Irish descent in other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, where Irish emigrants settled in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ganley

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

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 Ganley 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 Ganley 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 Ganley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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