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

Gurney, 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 Gurney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gurney in America

Gurney is the 7336th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gurney surname appeared 4,547 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 Gurney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gurney 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 Gurney

The surname Gurney originates from the Anglo-Norman French word "gournet" meaning a fish pond or small stream. It is believed to have first emerged in England during the Norman conquest of 1066. The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Gornai" in Oxfordshire.

The Gurney family initially settled in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk in East Anglia. Over time, variations in spelling emerged, including Gornay, Gournay, and Gurnard. One notable early bearer of the name was Hugh de Gournay, who was appointed Lord of Gournay in the 12th century.

In the 13th century, records show a Sir Thomas de Gournay serving as a knight in the retinue of King Edward I during the Scottish Wars of Independence. His son, also named Thomas de Gournay, fought alongside Edward III at the Battle of Crécy in 1346.

The name Gurney can also be found associated with several place names in Norfolk, such as Gurney Street and Gurney Court in Norwich. This suggests that the family may have held significant landholdings in the region.

One of the most famous bearers of the Gurney surname was Joseph John Gurney (1788-1847), a prominent Quaker banker and philanthropist. He was instrumental in campaigning for the abolition of slavery and improving prison conditions in Britain.

Another notable figure was Goldsworthy Gurney (1793-1875), an English scientist and inventor. He is credited with developing the first commercial steam-powered road vehicle, known as the Gurney Steam Carriage, in the 1820s.

In the literary world, Edmund Gurney (1847-1888) was an English psychologist and co-founder of the Society for Psychical Research. He conducted pioneering research into hypnosis, telepathy, and other paranormal phenomena.

Lastly, Sir Henry Gurney (1888-1951) was a British colonial administrator who served as High Commissioner of the Malay States and Governor of the Straits Settlements in the 1940s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gurney

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

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

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

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