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

Guy, 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 Guy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Guy in America

Guy is the 1227th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Guy surname appeared 28,852 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname Guy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Guy 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 Guy

The surname Guy has its origins in France, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French given name "Gui" or "Guy," which itself comes from the Germanic name "Wido," meaning "wood" or "forest."

The name Guy was particularly common in the regions of Normandy and Brittany in northern France. It is believed to have been introduced to England after the Norman Conquest in 1066, when many Norman families settled in the British Isles.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Guy can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Wido" in this historical document.

In the 12th century, a notable figure named Guy de Lusignan (c. 1150 – 1194) was a French crusader and King of Jerusalem. He played a significant role in the Third Crusade and is mentioned in various chronicles of the time.

Another prominent individual with the surname Guy was Thomas Guy (1644 – 1724), a wealthy British bookseller and founder of Guy's Hospital in London. The hospital, established in 1721, was one of the earliest healthcare institutions in London and continues to operate to this day.

In the literary world, Guy de Maupassant (1850 – 1893) was a celebrated French writer known for his short stories and novels, including works such as "Bel-Ami" and "The Necklace."

The surname Guy has also been associated with various place names throughout history. One example is Guy's Cliffe in Warwickshire, England, which was named after Guy of Warwick, a legendary English hero from the 10th century.

Other notable individuals with the surname Guy include René Guy Cadou (1920 – 1951), a French poet and writer, and Rosa Guy (1924 – 2012), an American writer and educator known for her works depicting the experiences of the African American community.

While the surname Guy has its roots in France and has been present in various parts of Europe and the Americas, it has maintained a strong connection to its historical origins and has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Guy

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

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

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

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