2000
#6,325
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,960
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.84
Rare Last name
Gormley
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Goirmleadhaigh," meaning "descendant of Goirmleadhach," a personal name meaning "noble ruler."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,526 Americans carry the last name Gormley. That puts it at #6,727 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,026 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gormley surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Gormley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.5K
1 in 62,026
Census rank
#6,727
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,819 bearers of the surname Gormley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6727th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gormley, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gormley
The surname Gormley originated in Ireland, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "gorm," meaning "blue" or "green," and the diminutive suffix "-ley," which indicates a small place or field. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a green or blue meadow or field.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gormley appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention a man named Gormley who lived in County Armagh in the year 1184.
In the 14th century, the name Gormley was also found in the Annals of Ulster, another important record of Irish history. This entry refers to a man named Gormley who was involved in a conflict between Irish clans in County Down.
During the 16th century, the name Gormley was associated with the Gaelic noble family of O'Gormleys, who were lords of the territory of Keenaght in County Derry. The O'Gormleys were a prominent clan in the region and were known for their involvement in various battles and conflicts.
One notable figure bearing the name Gormley was Hugh Gormley, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a Catholic priest and a member of the O'Gormley clan, and he played a role in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s.
Another famous Gormley was Antony Gormley, an English sculptor born in 1950. He is best known for his iconic sculpture "Angel of the North," a massive steel sculpture located in Gateshead, England.
Other individuals with the surname Gormley include Patrick Gormley (1916-2005), an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for County Donegal, and John Gormley (born 1949), an Irish politician who served as the leader of the Green Party and the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
Throughout its history, the name Gormley has been associated with various places in Ireland, particularly in counties Armagh, Derry, and Down, where the name has its strongest roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gormley
Among Census respondents with the surname Gormley, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Gormley bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Gormley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 4,363
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 203
- Two or more races3.3% · 158
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 48
- Black or African American0.9% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gormley
Gormley appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,814
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,949
-11 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 1.68
Rank movement Down 489 places
2020
#6,727
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,819
-130 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 1.61
Rank movement Up 87 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,325 | 4,960 | 1.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,814 | 4,949 | 1.68 | -11 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 489 places |
| 2020 | #6,727 | 4,819 | 1.61 | -130 bearers (-2.6%) | Up 87 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Gormley surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,814 | #6,727 | 1.3% |
| Count | 4,949 | 4,819 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.68 | 1.61 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gormley bearers went from 4,949 to 4,819 (-2.6% change). The surname moved up 87 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,814 to #6,727.
FAQ
Gormley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gormley?
Name Census estimates that about 5,526 living Americans carry the surname Gormley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,026 residents.
How common is Gormley?
Gormley ranks #6,727 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,819 people with the surname Gormley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,526), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Gormley.
Has Gormley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gormley went from 4,949 recorded bearers to 4,819. That is a decrease of 130 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,814 to #6,727.
What does the Census say about the background of Gormley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gormley, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gormley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (4,363 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gormley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Hispanic (4.2%), Two or More Races (3.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Gormley (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Gormley mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Goirmleadhaigh," meaning "descendant of Goirmleadhach," a personal name meaning "noble ruler." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Gormley (1.61 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Gormley?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Gormley, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.