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

Gorney, 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 Gorney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gorney in America

Gorney is the 16315th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gorney surname appeared 1,766 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 Gorney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gorney 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 Gorney

The surname Gorney is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "gorne," which referred to a muddy or dirty place. This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a descriptive surname to someone who lived near or worked in a muddy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gorney can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, England, from the year 1327, where a certain Robert de Gornay is mentioned. The prefix "de" in this spelling indicates the name's association with a specific place, possibly a town or village called Gornay or a variation of that name.

During the 15th century, the name appeared in various records with different spellings, such as Gorney, Gourney, and Gornye. These variations were common in the Middle Ages due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions and the influence of regional dialects.

In the 16th century, the Gorney surname gained more prominence, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such person was John Gorney, a merchant from Bristol, England, who lived during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the late 1500s.

Another prominent figure with the Gorney surname was Sir Nicholas Gorney, a military commander who served in the English Civil War during the 17th century. He fought on the Parliamentarian side and played a crucial role in the Battle of Naseby in 1645.

In the 18th century, the name Gorney was associated with the town of Gorney in Somerset, England, which may have been named after the local Gorney family or derived from the same Old English root word.

Moving into the 19th century, one notable individual was John Gorney, a British painter and illustrator born in 1831. He was known for his landscape paintings and illustrations for books and magazines.

Towards the end of the 19th century, another notable figure was Robert Gorney, a successful businessman and industrialist from Manchester, England. He established the Gorney Manufacturing Company, which produced textile machinery and equipment.

While the Gorney surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration. However, it remains relatively uncommon, particularly in its original spelling, compared to other English surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gorney

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

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

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

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