Find out how popular the last name Gooley is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Gooley.
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Gogalaigh, meaning "descendent of Gogalach".
Gooley, 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 Gooley surname is from the 2010 census data.
Gooley is the 37492nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Gooley surname appeared 594 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 Gooley.
We can also compare 2010 data for Gooley 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.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 37492 | 40083 | -6.68% |
| Count | 594 | 515 | 14.25% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.20 | 0.19 | 5.13% |
The surname Gooley is believed to have originated in Ireland, with its roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is thought to be an Anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name "Ó Gobhthaigh," which translates to "descendant of the smith" or "descendant of the metalworker."
The earliest known bearer of the Gooley name was Seán Ó Gobhthaigh, who was recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters in 1532. This historical chronicle, compiled by Irish Franciscan scholars in the early 17th century, documented significant events and genealogies of prominent Irish families.
In the 17th century, the Gooley surname appeared in various land and tax records in counties such as Roscommon, Galway, and Mayo. These records often featured different spellings, including Gooley, Gouley, and Gooly, reflecting the inconsistencies in transcribing Irish names into English at the time.
One notable historical figure bearing the Gooley name was Patrick Gooley (1760-1838), an Irish-born American Revolutionary War veteran who later served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. Another prominent individual was Michael Gooley (1799-1867), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the Catholic Church in Philadelphia.
In the 19th century, the Gooley surname was also found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire. This could be attributed to the migration of Irish families during the Industrial Revolution or earlier periods of economic upheaval.
Notable bearers of the Gooley name in more recent times include John Gooley (1891-1962), an American baseball player who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in the early 20th century, and Robert Gooley (1928-2018), a prominent Australian businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the arts and education sectors.
Throughout its history, the Gooley surname has been associated with various occupations, including metalworking, agriculture, and trade, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who carried this name across generations and regions.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Gooley.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Gooley was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 85.86% | 510 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | 12.29% | 73 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 1.35% | 8 |
| Hispanic Origin | (S)% | (S) |
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 Gooley has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 85.86% | 87.57% | -1.97% |
| Black | 12.29% | 9.71% | 23.45% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Two or More Races | 1.35% | 1.55% | -13.79% |
| Hispanic | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
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 Gooley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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