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

Gokey, 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 Gokey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gokey in America

Gokey is the 16570th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gokey surname appeared 1,732 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Gokey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gokey 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 Gokey

The surname Gokey has its origins in the Netherlands, with the name first appearing in historical records during the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Dutch word "goochelaar," which means "juggler" or "magician." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with someone who performed magic tricks or other forms of entertainment.

In the Netherlands, the name was commonly found in the provinces of Friesland and Groningen, where it was often spelled as "Gockeije" or "Gockinga." These regional variations in spelling were common during the time, as standardized spellings were not yet widely adopted.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Frisian manuscript "Codex Aysma," which dates back to the mid-16th century. This document mentions a certain "Gockinga" family, though no further details about their lives or occupations are provided.

As the Dutch began to explore and settle in other parts of the world, the name Gokey also spread to other regions. In the 17th century, there are records of individuals with the surname Gokey living in the Dutch colony of New Netherland, which encompassed parts of modern-day New York and New Jersey.

One notable bearer of the name was Jan Gokey, a Dutch settler who arrived in New Netherland in the early 1600s. He is considered one of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname in North America.

Another prominent figure with the Gokey surname was Pieter Gokey, a Dutch merchant and trader who lived in the late 17th century. He was involved in the fur trade and had business dealings with Native American tribes in the Hudson Valley region.

In the 18th century, the name Gokey appeared in various records and documents throughout the American colonies. For example, there are references to a Samuel Gokey who served as a soldier during the Revolutionary War.

As the name spread further, it also underwent various spelling changes and adaptations. In some regions, it was written as "Gockey" or "Gokee," while in others, it retained the more traditional Dutch spelling of "Gokey."

Throughout history, several other individuals with the surname Gokey have made notable contributions in various fields. For instance, there was a Dr. Lewis Gokey, who was a prominent physician and surgeon in the late 19th century, and a writer named Alice Gokey, who published several works of fiction in the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gokey

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

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

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

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