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

Getty, 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 Getty surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Getty in America

Getty is the 11142nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Getty surname appeared 2,842 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 Getty.

We can also compare 2010 data for Getty 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 Getty

The surname Getty originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the county of Oxfordshire. It is derived from the Old English words "geat" meaning "gate" and "hyrde" meaning "keeper" or "guardian." The name likely referred to someone who guarded the gates of a town or manor.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Getty dates back to the 13th century in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "William le Gatehyrde." This document was a census and tax record compiled during the reign of King Edward I.

In the 14th century, the name was also found in the Cartulary of Oseney Abbey, a medieval monastic manuscript from Oxfordshire, where it was spelled as "Gatehuerd." This variation highlights the fluidity of spelling during that time period.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Getty was John Getty, a 16th-century English politician and landowner from Oxfordshire. He served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Woodstock in 1563 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another prominent individual with the surname was Sir William Getty, who lived in the 17th century. He was a wealthy merchant and landowner in Oxfordshire and played a crucial role in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause against King Charles I.

In the 18th century, the name was found in various parish records and legal documents across Oxfordshire and neighboring counties, such as Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. Spellings included "Gettie," "Gettye," and "Getty."

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Getty was John Paul Getty, an American-born British philanthropist, art collector, and book collector who lived from 1892 to 1976. He founded the Getty Oil Company and was once the richest person in the world.

Another notable figure was Gordon Getty, born in 1933, an American businessman, philanthropist, and classical music composer. He is the son of J. Paul Getty and has continued his father's legacy as a prominent member of the Getty family.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Getty

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

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

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

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