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

Guernsey, 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 Guernsey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Guernsey in America

Guernsey is the 13376th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Guernsey surname appeared 2,277 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 Guernsey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Guernsey 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 Guernsey

The surname Guernsey has its origins in the island of Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands located off the coast of Normandy, France. The name is derived from the Old Norse words "grøn ey," meaning "green island." This reflects the lush, verdant landscape of the island, which has been inhabited since prehistoric times.

The Guernsey surname first appears in historical records in the 11th century, following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Many residents of Guernsey accompanied William the Conqueror and settled in various parts of England, establishing their family names in the process.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Guernsey surname was Sir John Guernsey, who lived in the 13th century and served as a knight under King Edward I. Another notable figure was William Guernsey, born in 1490, who was a merchant and landowner in the county of Essex.

In the 16th century, the Guernsey name appears in the Visitation of Huntingdonshire, a record of prominent families in the county. This suggests that the Guernsey family had established themselves as part of the gentry class by that time.

Throughout history, the Guernsey surname has been associated with various place names derived from the island, such as Guernsey County, Ohio, and Guernsey, Wyoming. The surname has also been spelled in various ways, including Guernesey, Gernesey, and Gernsey.

Some notable individuals with the Guernsey surname include:

1. Sir Benjamin Guernsey (1622-1691), an English politician and member of Parliament.
2. Egerton Guernsey (1823-1903), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the New York State Assembly.
3. Jessie Guernsey (1880-1962), an American artist and illustrator known for her work in children's literature.
4. Alfred H. Guernsey (1858-1938), an American businessman and banker who co-founded the New York Clearing House Association.
5. Lucy Ellen Guernsey (1826-1904), an American educator and women's rights activist who helped establish the Kentucky Female Orphan School.

These are just a few examples of the historical figures who have borne the Guernsey surname, which has a rich legacy rooted in the island from which it originated.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Guernsey

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

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

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

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