2000
#6,678
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,663
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.73
Rare Last name
Gladney
An English surname derived from a place name meaning "bright clearing" or "bright wood."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,582 Americans carry the last name Gladney. That puts it at #6,670 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 61,404 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gladney 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
5.6K
1 in 61,404
Census rank
#6,670
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,868 bearers of the surname Gladney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6670th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gladney, the largest self-reported group is Black at 70.4%. The next largest groups are White (21.1%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gladney
The surname Gladney has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "glæd" or "glæde," meaning "bright" or "shining." This name was likely given as a nickname or descriptive name to someone with a cheerful or pleasant disposition.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gladney name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1202, where it appears as "Gladwyn." This spelling variation suggests that the name may have initially been a combination of the Old English words "glæd" and "wine," meaning "bright friend."
The Gladney surname is also thought to have connections to the village of Gladney in Shropshire, England. This place name is derived from the Old English words "glæde" and "eg," meaning "bright island" or "bright meadow." It's possible that some individuals took their surnames from this location.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are entries for individuals with similar surnames, such as "Glademan" and "Glademund." These names could be related to the modern-day Gladney.
Notable figures throughout history who bore the Gladney surname include:
1. William Gladney (c. 1500 - 1570), an English landowner and merchant from Gloucestershire.
2. John Gladney (1620 - 1689), a farmer and member of the Virginia House of Burgesses.
3. Elizabeth Gladney (1725 - 1798), a prominent Quaker minister and abolitionist from Pennsylvania.
4. Robert Gladney (1801 - 1876), a Scottish inventor and engineer known for his contributions to the development of the steam engine.
5. Mary Gladney (1870 - 1952), an American educator and suffragist who fought for women's right to vote.
The Gladney surname has a rich history spanning several centuries, with roots in Old English language and place names. Its evolution and the stories of individuals who bore this name contribute to the fascinating tapestry of English heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gladney
Among Census respondents with the surname Gladney, the largest self-reported group is Black at 70.4%. The next largest groups are White (21.1%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gladney 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 Gladney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American70.4% · 3,427
- White21.1% · 1,029
- Two or more races5.4% · 262
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 115
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gladney
Gladney 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
#6,729
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,012
+349 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 1.70
Rank movement Down 51 places
2020
#6,670
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,868
-144 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.63
Rank movement Up 59 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,678 | 4,663 | 1.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,729 | 5,012 | 1.70 | +349 bearers (+7.5%) | Down 51 places |
| 2020 | #6,670 | 4,868 | 1.63 | -144 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 59 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 Gladney 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 | #6,729 | #6,670 | 0.9% |
| Count | 5,012 | 4,868 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.70 | 1.63 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gladney bearers went from 5,012 to 4,868 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 59 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,729 to #6,670.
FAQ
Gladney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gladney?
Name Census estimates that about 5,582 living Americans carry the surname Gladney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 61,404 residents.
How common is Gladney?
Gladney ranks #6,670 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,868 people with the surname Gladney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,582), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Gladney.
Has Gladney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gladney went from 5,012 recorded bearers to 4,868. That is a decrease of 144 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,729 to #6,670.
What does the Census say about the background of Gladney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gladney, the largest self-reported group is Black at 70.4%. The next largest groups are White (21.1%) and Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Gladney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.4% (3,427 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gladney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (70.4%), White (21.1%), Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Gladney (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 Gladney mean?
An English surname derived from a place name meaning "bright clearing" or "bright wood." 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 Gladney (1.63 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 surname Gladney?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.