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

Gee, 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 Gee surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gee in America

Gee is the 1547th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gee surname appeared 23,241 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Gee.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gee 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 Gee

The surname Gee originated in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have been derived from the Old French word "gai," meaning joyful or lively, which was likely used as a nickname for a cheerful person. Alternatively, it could have been derived from the Old English word "gea," meaning yes or indeed.

The name is found in various early records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mentions a Richard le Gai in Oxfordshire. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 also list a John Gee in Staffordshire. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Gee, who was mentioned in the Patent Rolls of 1310 in Lincolnshire.

The Gee surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Thomas Gee (c. 1505-1556), an English Protestant reformer and the first Regius Professor of Civil Law at the University of Cambridge. Another notable bearer was Joshua Gee (1667-1730), a merchant and economic writer who authored influential works on trade and commerce.

In the 18th century, the name was borne by Samuel Gee (1739-1808), a prominent English Baptist minister and author. His son, John Gee (1763-1826), was a renowned scholar and author of the influential work "The Trade and Navigation of Great Britain Considered."

The 19th century saw the rise of William W. H. Gee (1837-1916), a successful English businessman and philanthropist who founded the Gee Trust, which provided educational opportunities for underprivileged children.

The Gee surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Gee Cross in Greater Manchester, which was formerly known as Gee Croft. Additionally, there are several villages and hamlets in England with names like Gee, Gee Wood, and Gee Cross, indicating the prevalence of the surname in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gee

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

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

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

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