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

Gourley, 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 Gourley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gourley in America

Gourley is the 5826th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gourley surname appeared 5,934 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Gourley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gourley 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 Gourley

The surname Gourley originated in Scotland and is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "gormhaillidh," which means "green" or "verdant." This name likely referred to someone who lived near a green or fertile area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gourley can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a collection of acts of homage and fealty to King Edward I of England. The name is listed as "Gourlai" in this document.

In the 16th century, the Gourley family is known to have settled in the county of Ayrshire, Scotland. One notable member of the family during this time was John Gourley, who was born in 1567 and served as a minister in the town of Kilwinning.

The name Gourley has also been associated with various place names throughout Scotland, such as Gourley Burn, a stream in Dumfriesshire, and Gourley Hill, a location in Ayrshire.

Over the centuries, the surname has had various spellings, including Gourley, Gourlay, Gourlaye, and Gourlie. These variations were likely due to regional differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions.

In the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname Gourley was Robert Gourley, a Scottish poet who was born in 1778. He published several works, including "The Poetic Mirror" and "The Moral Parnassian."

Another prominent individual with the name was William Gourley, a Scottish mathematician and astronomer born in 1776. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and wrote several books on the subject, including "A Treatise on the Mathematical Theory of the Motion of Projectiles."

In the 19th century, John Gourley, born in 1813, was a Scottish inventor and engineer who is credited with developing an early version of the steam plow, which revolutionized agriculture at the time.

Additionally, James Gourley, born in 1842, was a Scottish botanist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in Australia, where he lived and worked for many years.

The surname Gourley has a rich history rooted in Scotland, with various notable individuals bearing the name throughout the centuries. While the name has evolved in spelling, its origins can be traced back to the Gaelic language and a connection to verdant or green areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gourley

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

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

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

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