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

Gulley, 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 Gulley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gulley in America

Gulley is the 3366th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gulley surname appeared 10,605 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Gulley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gulley 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 Gulley

The surname Gulley is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the medieval era. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "gylian," which means "to shout" or "to yell." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone with a loud or boisterous voice.

In its earliest forms, the name was often spelled as "Gullie" or "Gully," and it is thought to have been prevalent in areas such as Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, and Gloucestershire. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1176, which mentions a person named "Gylly."

The Gulley surname also appears in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire from the late 13th century and the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from the 13th century. These records provide valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of the name during that time period.

One notable individual bearing the Gulley surname was John Gulley, a English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in 1555 during the Marian Persecutions. Another was William Gulley, a 16th-century English landowner and member of the gentry from Warwickshire, whose family held significant property in the area.

In the 17th century, the Gulley surname can be found associated with various places, such as Gulley's Green in Buckinghamshire and Gulley's Lane in Bedfordshire. These place names likely derived from individuals or families with the Gulley surname residing or owning land in those areas.

Other notable individuals with the Gulley surname include Benjamin Gulley (1732-1800), an English architect and surveyor, and John Gulley (1803-1882), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Coventry in the mid-19th century.

While the Gulley surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration and migration patterns. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in England, where it emerged as a descriptive nickname reflecting a distinctive vocal characteristic.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gulley

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

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

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

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