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

Gwartney, 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 Gwartney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gwartney in America

Gwartney is the 43969th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gwartney surname appeared 490 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gwartney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gwartney 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 Gwartney

The surname Gwartney is believed to have its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "geat" meaning "gate" and "ney" meaning "island," suggesting a possible connection to a place name or location near a gate on an island or marsh.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1199, where a person named Gateney is mentioned. This spelling variation further supports the theory that the name is linked to a place name involving a gate or entrance.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records with spellings such as Gayteneye and Gatenaye, reflecting the evolution of the name over time. It is worth noting that during this period, surnames were not standardized, and regional variations in spelling were common.

The Gwartney surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such individual was John Gwartney, a 16th-century English composer and organist who served at the Chapel Royal during the reign of King Henry VIII (1491-1547).

Another notable figure was William Gwartney, a 17th-century English colonist who settled in Virginia in the early 1600s. He is recorded as being among the early pioneers who established the Jamestown colony, one of the first permanent English settlements in North America.

In the 18th century, Thomas Gwartney (1718-1795) was a prominent landowner and farmer in Virginia. He played a role in the American Revolutionary War, serving as a captain in the Virginia militia.

During the 19th century, Edward Gwartney (1827-1901) was a successful entrepreneur and businessman from Ohio. He founded the Gwartney Stove Company, which manufactured wood-burning stoves and became a prominent business in the region.

More recently, James D. Gwartney (1942-2018) was an American economist and professor at Florida State University. He co-authored several influential publications on economic freedom and its impact on economic growth and prosperity.

While the Gwartney surname has evolved over time and can be found in various parts of the world, its origins can be traced back to medieval England, where it likely derived from a place name or location associated with a gate or entrance on an island or marsh.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gwartney

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

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

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

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