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

Gunnels, 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 Gunnels surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gunnels in America

Gunnels is the 13453rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gunnels surname appeared 2,264 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 Gunnels.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gunnels 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 Gunnels

The surname Gunnels originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "gunne," meaning "war" or "battle," and is believed to have been an occupational name for a soldier or warrior.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gunnels can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "Gunnel." This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.

During the medieval period, the Gunnels family was primarily concentrated in the counties of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. The name is also found in various spellings, such as Gunnel, Gunnill, and Gunnell, reflecting the differences in regional dialects and scribal variations.

In the 16th century, the Gunnels family gained prominence with the birth of Richard Gunnels (1532-1611), a prominent lawyer and member of the Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was known for his legal expertise and served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Wallingford, Oxfordshire.

Another notable figure was John Gunnels (1680-1745), a renowned clockmaker from London. His clocks were highly sought after by the wealthy and aristocratic classes, and several of his works are still preserved in museums and private collections.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Gunnels family continued to spread across various parts of England. One branch of the family settled in Yorkshire, where they were landowners and farmers. Thomas Gunnels (1720-1789) was a successful merchant and landowner in the village of Kirkby Malzeard, North Yorkshire.

In the 19th century, the Gunnels surname gained further recognition with the birth of William Gunnels (1818-1892), a prominent English architect. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Town Hall in Birmingham and the Royal Albert Memorial in London.

Another notable figure was George Gunnels (1854-1928), a renowned botanist and explorer. He was part of several expeditions to South America and made significant contributions to the study of plant life in the Amazon region.

As the Gunnels family continued to spread across England and beyond, the name evolved into various spellings and variations, reflecting the regional dialects and cultural influences of different areas. However, its roots can be traced back to the Old English word "gunne," reflecting the family's historical association with military service and warfare.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gunnels

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

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

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

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