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

Gidley, 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 Gidley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gidley in America

Gidley is the 21307th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gidley surname appeared 1,230 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 Gidley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gidley 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 Gidley

The surname Gidley is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from a place name, possibly from the Old English words "giddan," meaning "to speak," and "leah," meaning "a clearing or meadow." This suggests that the name may have referred to a person who lived in a clearing or meadow where people gathered to speak or converse.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, which dates back to 1273. Here, the name is written as "Giddeleye." This variation in spelling was common during that time, as standardized spelling was not yet established.

The Gidley surname appears to have been concentrated in the counties of Devon and Somerset in the southwestern part of England. In the late 16th century, a notable figure named John Gidley was recorded as a merchant and shipowner in the city of Exeter, Devon.

During the 17th century, the Gidley family established itself as landowners in the parish of Matford, near Exeter. Thomas Gidley (1619-1694) was a prominent member of this family and served as a Justice of the Peace for Devon.

In the 18th century, another notable figure was Reverend Sausmarez Gidley (1708-1793), who served as the Rector of Avington in Hampshire. He was also a Fellow of Winchester College and published several theological works.

The 19th century saw the birth of William Tanner Gidley (1811-1892), a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel and St. Pancras railway station.

Another significant figure was Sir Sampson Gidley (1827-1905), who served as the Lord Mayor of London from 1891 to 1892. He was also a successful businessman and philanthropist, known for his charitable contributions to various causes.

The Gidley name has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Gidleigh in Devon, which was once a manor owned by the Gidley family. Additionally, there are records of "Gidleighton" and "Gidleighfarm" in the same county, further emphasizing the connection between the surname and geographical locations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gidley

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

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

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

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