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

Gidney, 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 Gidney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gidney in America

Gidney is the 30701st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gidney surname appeared 759 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 Gidney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gidney 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 Gidney

The surname Gidney has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "gid" or "gyd," meaning "ravine" or "valley," and "ey," meaning "island." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived on an island or near a ravine or valley.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Gideneye." This document was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England, commissioned by William the Conqueror.

In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "Gideneye" in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, which were administrative records of landowners and their holdings. This spelling variation further reinforces the connection to the Old English roots of the name.

A notable early bearer of the surname was Sir John Gidney, who lived in the 14th century and was a knight of the shire for Gloucestershire in the English Parliament. Another individual of historical significance was Thomas Gidney, born around 1535, who served as the Bishop of Lincoln from 1592 until his death in 1618.

In the 16th century, the name was sometimes spelled as "Gydney," as seen in records from the parish of Wilton in Somerset. This variation highlights the fluidity of spelling practices during that era.

Robert Gidney, born in 1608, was a notable English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Ickham in Kent. He published several religious works, including a treatise on the Book of Revelation.

Another prominent figure was Sir Sampson Gidney, who lived in the 17th century and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1692. He was also a member of the Worshipful Company of Salters, one of the livery companies of the City of London.

The surname Gidney has maintained a presence throughout the centuries, with various individuals bearing the name making noteworthy contributions in various fields, further enriching the history and legacy of this English surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gidney

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!