2000
#3,293
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,986
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.70
Uncommon Last name
Gulley
An English toponymic surname referring to someone living near a ravine, stream, or narrow channel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,697 Americans carry the last name Gulley. That puts it at #3,421 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 29,303 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gulley surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Gulley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 29,303
Census rank
#3,421
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,200 bearers of the surname Gulley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3421st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gulley, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.4%. The next largest groups are Black (36.2%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gulley
Among Census respondents with the surname Gulley, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.4%. The next largest groups are Black (36.2%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Gulley bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Gulley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White55.4% · 5,653
- Black or African American36.2% · 3,692
- Two or more races4.8% · 492
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 265
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 67
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gulley
Gulley appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,605
+619 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 3.60
Rank movement Down 73 places
2020
#3,421
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,200
-405 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 3.41
Rank movement Down 55 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,293 | 9,986 | 3.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,366 | 10,605 | 3.60 | +619 bearers (+6.2%) | Down 73 places |
| 2020 | #3,421 | 10,200 | 3.41 | -405 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 55 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Gulley surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,366 | #3,421 | -1.6% |
| Count | 10,605 | 10,200 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 3.60 | 3.41 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gulley bearers went from 10,605 to 10,200 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 55 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,366 to #3,421.
FAQ
Gulley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gulley?
Name Census estimates that about 11,697 living Americans carry the surname Gulley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 29,303 residents.
How common is Gulley?
Gulley ranks #3,421 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.41 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,200 people with the surname Gulley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,697), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.41 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.41 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Gulley.
Has Gulley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gulley went from 10,605 recorded bearers to 10,200. That is a decrease of 405 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,366 to #3,421.
What does the Census say about the background of Gulley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gulley, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.4%. The next largest groups are Black (36.2%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gulley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.4% (5,653 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gulley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (55.4%), Black (36.2%), Two or More Races (4.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Gulley (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Gulley mean?
An English toponymic surname referring to someone living near a ravine, stream, or narrow channel. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Gulley (3.41 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Gulley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.