Explore the Family Name Gourlay

The meaning of Gourlay

Scottish and English (of Norman origin): variant of Gourley.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Gourlay in the United States?

According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Gourlay has seen a slight increase in popularity between the years 2000 and 2010. Its rank jumped from 34,210 to 33,450, marking a 2.22% rise during this period. Simultaneously, the count of people with this surname increased by 8.77%, from 627 to 682. However, the proportion of Gourlay bearers per 100,000 people remained constant at 0.23.

20002010Change
Rank#34,210#33,4502.22%
Count6276828.77%
Proportion per 100k0.230.230%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gourlay

Analyzing the ethnic identity associated with the surname Gourlay using data from the Decennial U.S. Census, we observe some changes over the decade. The majority of individuals identified as White, comprising 96.01% in 2000 which slightly decreased to 94.43% in 2010. There was also a small representation within the Hispanic community that saw a growth of 7.33%, from 1.91% to 2.05%. Furthermore, the Black community saw a 10% increase, moving from 0.80% to 0.88%. Notably, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Two or more races were not represented in 2000 but appeared in 2010, bringing up their figures to 0.73% and 1.91% respectively. The American Indian and Alaskan Native category had no representation in either census year.

20002010Change
White96.01%94.43%-1.65%
Hispanic1.91%2.05%7.33%
Two or More Races0%1.91%0%
Black0.8%0.88%10%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0.73%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%