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

Gilboy, 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 Gilboy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gilboy in America

Gilboy is the 39717th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gilboy surname appeared 553 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 Gilboy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gilboy 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 Gilboy

The surname Gilboy is of Irish origin and dates back to the 17th century. It is believed to have originated from the Irish Gaelic words "giolla" meaning "servant" and "Buidhe" meaning "yellow" or "fair-haired." This suggests that the name was likely a descriptive nickname given to someone who served as a servant or attendant and had fair hair or a yellow complexion.

The earliest recorded instances of the Gilboy surname can be found in various Irish parish records and census data from the late 17th and early 18th centuries. These records often show variations in the spelling, such as Gilbuy, Gillbuy, and Gilboy. The surname was most prevalent in counties such as Galway, Mayo, and Sligo, suggesting that it may have originated in the western regions of Ireland.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Gilboy surname was Patrick Gilboy, born in County Galway in the late 17th century. Historical records indicate that he was a farmer and landowner in the region. Another notable individual was Michael Gilboy, born in County Mayo in the early 18th century, who served as a soldier in the Irish Brigades of the French Army during the Napoleonic Wars.

In the 19th century, the Gilboy surname began to spread beyond Ireland as many Irish families emigrated to other parts of the world, particularly to the United States and Canada. One notable figure from this period was James Gilboy (1823-1901), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist born in County Mayo, who later settled in New York City and made his fortune in the shipping industry.

Other notable individuals with the Gilboy surname include:

1. Thomas Gilboy (1856-1932), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts.
2. William Gilboy (1868-1941), an Irish-American Catholic priest and educator who served as the president of St. Joseph's College in Dubuque, Iowa.
3. Mary Gilboy (1891-1975), an American religious sister and educator who founded several schools in the United States.
4. Peter Gilboy (1923-2008), an American entrepreneur and businessman who founded the Gilboy Corporation, a successful manufacturing company.

While the Gilboy surname is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its Irish roots in the 17th century. The name's origins as a descriptive nickname for a fair-haired servant or attendant provide an interesting glimpse into the lives and occupations of those who bore this surname in earlier times.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gilboy

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

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

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

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