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

Gelsey, 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 Gelsey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gelsey in America

Gelsey is the 152628th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gelsey surname appeared 107 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gelsey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gelsey 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 Gelsey

The surname Gelsey originated in England, specifically in the county of Gloucestershire, during the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "gele" meaning "yellow" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing." Thus, the name Gelsey likely referred to someone who lived near a yellow meadow or clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gelsey can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1327, where a Robert de Gelseye is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by that time.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Gelsey, Gelsay, and Gelsie, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era. Records from the town of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, mention a John Gelsay in 1452 and a Thomas Gelsie in 1489.

The Gelsey family played a role in the English Civil War (1642-1651), with Sir William Gelsey (1592-1676) serving as a captain in the Royalist army under King Charles I. Sir William's grandson, also named William Gelsey (1660-1718), was a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the early 18th century.

Another notable figure with the surname Gelsey was Elizabeth Gelsey (1803-1887), a British author and poet who published several works, including "Poems" in 1830 and "The Village Rose" in 1842.

In the 19th century, the Gelsey family had connections to the town of Evesham in Worcestershire. John Gelsey (1818-1892) was a successful businessman and philanthropist who donated funds for the construction of the Evesham Hospital and other public works in the town.

While the surname Gelsey is relatively uncommon today, it has a rich history rooted in the English countryside, with notable bearers contributing to various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gelsey

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

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

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

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