2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gelsey
Of Germanic origin, referring to someone who lived near a dike or ditch.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Gelsey. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gelsey 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.
Bearers in the US
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Gelsey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gelsey, the largest self-reported group is Black at 64.1%. The next largest groups are White (26.5%) and Two or More Races (6.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gelsey
Among Census respondents with the surname Gelsey, the largest self-reported group is Black at 64.1%. The next largest groups are White (26.5%) and Two or More Races (6.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gelsey 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 Gelsey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American64.1% · 75
- White26.5% · 31
- Two or more races6.0% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gelsey
Gelsey 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-7 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,791 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+10 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,358 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 16,791 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 8,358 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 Gelsey 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 | #152,628 | #144,270 | 5.5% |
| Count | 107 | 117 | 9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gelsey bearers went from 107 to 117 (+9.3% change). The surname moved up 8,358 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #144,270.
FAQ
Gelsey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gelsey?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Gelsey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Gelsey?
Gelsey ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 117 people with the surname Gelsey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Gelsey.
Has Gelsey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gelsey went from 107 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 10 (+9.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Gelsey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gelsey, the largest self-reported group is Black at 64.1%. The next largest groups are White (26.5%) and Two or More Races (6.0%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gelsey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.1% (75 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gelsey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (64.1%), White (26.5%), Two or More Races (6.0%). 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 Gelsey (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 Gelsey mean?
Of Germanic origin, referring to someone who lived near a dike or ditch. 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 Gelsey (0.04 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 Gelsey?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Gelsey at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.