2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Girdy
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a nickname or location name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Girdy. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Girdy 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Girdy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Girdy, the largest self-reported group is Black at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.6%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Girdy
The surname Girdy originates from the Northern English regions of Yorkshire and Northumberland, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "gyrde," meaning a small branch or twig, suggesting that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who worked with twigs or branches, such as a basket weaver or thatcher.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a Robert Gyrdy is listed as a resident of the village of Appleton-le-Moors. The name also appears in the Northumberland Pipe Rolls of 1473, where a Thomas Gyrdy is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Rothbury.
In the 16th century, the spelling of the name evolved to its modern form, "Girdy." Records from this period include a William Girdy, born in 1543 in the village of Helmsley, Yorkshire, and a John Girdy, born in 1578 in the town of Alnwick, Northumberland.
The name Girdy has also been linked to various place names in Northern England, such as Girdy Nook in North Yorkshire and Girdy Hill in Northumberland. These place names may have derived from the surname or vice versa, reflecting the historical presence of the Girdy family in these areas.
Notable individuals with the surname Girdy include:
1. Thomas Girdy (c. 1620 - 1689), a prominent merchant and landowner in Newcastle upon Tyne, known for his philanthropic efforts in establishing a school for underprivileged children.
2. Elizabeth Girdy (1745 - 1821), a renowned botanist and naturalist from Yorkshire, who contributed significantly to the cataloging of native plant species in the region.
3. James Girdy (1786 - 1857), a British soldier who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a respected military strategist and author on military tactics.
4. Mary Girdy (1832 - 1912), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded one of the first schools for girls in Northumberland.
5. John Girdy (1871 - 1943), a renowned architect from Yorkshire, known for his innovative designs and contributions to the Arts and Crafts movement in British architecture.
While the surname Girdy is not among the most common in England, its historical roots and unique meaning have contributed to its enduring presence in the Northern regions of the country.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Girdy
Among Census respondents with the surname Girdy, the largest self-reported group is Black at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.6%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Girdy 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 Girdy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American76.9% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino11.6% · 14
- Two or more races5.8% · 7
- White4.1% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Girdy
Girdy 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,861 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,005 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 7,861 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 3,005 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 Girdy 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 | #138,304 | #141,309 | -2.2% |
| Count | 121 | 121 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Girdy bearers went from 121 to 121 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 3,005 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #141,309.
FAQ
Girdy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Girdy?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Girdy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Girdy?
Girdy ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Girdy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Girdy.
Has Girdy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Girdy went from 121 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Girdy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Girdy, the largest self-reported group is Black at 76.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.6%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Girdy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.9% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Girdy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (76.9%), Hispanic (11.6%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Girdy (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 Girdy mean?
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a nickname or location name. 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 Girdy (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 many people have the last name Girdy?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Girdy at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.