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

Gorby, 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 Gorby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gorby in America

Gorby is the 15434th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gorby surname appeared 1,898 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 Gorby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gorby 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 Gorby

The surname GORBY is believed to have originated in Scotland during the medieval period, likely derived from a Scottish Gaelic word or phrase related to a place name or occupation. It may have been a locative name, indicating someone from a particular area or settlement, or a descriptive name based on a physical characteristic or profession.

One theory suggests that GORBY could be a variant of the Scottish surname Gourlay, which is thought to have originated in the county of Fife. The Gourlay name is believed to be derived from the Gaelic phrase "gobhar-lath," meaning "the goat's hollow" or "the goat's pond," referring to a specific geographical feature or location.

Another possibility is that GORBY stems from the Scottish Gaelic word "garbh," meaning "rough" or "rugged." This could indicate a person from a rough or mountainous region or someone with a rugged or hardy appearance or temperament.

Historical records of the GORBY surname are scarce, but it is known to have been present in Scotland as early as the 16th century. One of the earliest recorded instances is in the Scottish Privy Council Register of 1572, which mentions a John Gorby from the region of Angus.

In the 17th century, a notable figure was Robert Gorby, a Scottish merchant and trader who was born in Kirkcaldy, Fife, around 1620. He became a successful businessman in Leith and was involved in importing goods from the Netherlands and exporting Scottish goods to the continent.

Another individual of note was James Gorby, a Scottish soldier who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. Born in Aberdeenshire in 1745, he fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775 and the Battle of Long Island in 1776.

In the 19th century, a prominent GORBY was William Gorby, a Scottish architect and civil engineer who was born in Edinburgh in 1815. He designed several notable buildings in Scotland, including the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and the Caledonian Railway Station in Edinburgh.

A more recent historical figure was John Gorby, a Scottish writer and journalist who lived from 1892 to 1974. He was born in Glasgow and worked as a reporter for various newspapers, including the Glasgow Herald and the Daily Record. He also wrote several books on Scottish history and culture.

While the surname GORBY is not particularly common, it has a rich and intriguing history rooted in the rugged landscapes and cultural traditions of Scotland. The name has been carried by merchants, soldiers, architects, and writers, each contributing to the tapestry of Scottish heritage and identity over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gorby

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

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

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

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