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

Gordy, 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 Gordy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gordy in America

Gordy is the 7838th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gordy surname appeared 4,225 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 Gordy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gordy 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 Gordy

The surname Gordy has its origins in the Old English words "gor" and "die", which together mean "muddy valley". This suggests that the name was originally a descriptive term used to identify people who lived in a muddy valley or lowland area.

The earliest known recorded instances of the surname Gordy date back to the 12th century in England. It is believed to have originated in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, where the name was commonly found in medieval records and documents.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Gordy was Robert de Gourdie, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1199. These rolls were financial records maintained by the English Exchequer during the reign of King Richard I.

Another early record of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were census-like records compiled during the reign of King Edward I. These rolls mention a John de Gourdie from the county of Norfolk.

Over the centuries, the surname Gordy has undergone various spelling variations, including Gourdie, Gourdy, Gourday, and Gourdie. These variations were common due to inconsistent spelling practices and regional dialects.

One notable bearer of the surname Gordy was John Gourdie (c. 1500 - c. 1570), who was a Scottish author and playwright from Dundee. He is credited with writing several plays, including "The Blyth Poverteye" and "The Siege of Leith".

Another individual of note was James Gourdie (1777 - 1858), a Scottish minister and author from Fife. He wrote several religious works, including "An Exposition of the Parables and Sayings of Christ".

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Gordy was William Gordy, who was born in Maryland in 1713. He was a planter and landowner in Somerset County.

Perhaps the most famous bearer of the surname Gordy was Berry Gordy Jr. (1929 - ), the American songwriter, record producer, and entrepreneur who founded the Motown Record Corporation in 1959. He was a key figure in the development of the Motown Sound and helped launch the careers of numerous legendary artists.

Another notable individual was Sib Gordy (1892 - 1957), an American baseball player who played for the Boston Red Sox and the Washington Senators in the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gordy

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

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

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

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