Gurley
A surname most likely from a place-name, probably an English locational name that later spread as a family name.
The #4,098 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 35,615 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Gurley is most plausibly locational, formed from an English place-name now lost, altered, or sparsely recorded in older spellings. The historical dictionaries that mention it group it with other names treated as place-derived surnames, which supports a geographical origin rather than a personal-name or occupation source. The exact place behind it is not firmly established from the excerpts alone, so the literal meaning remains uncertain.
History
The name appears in English surname discussions by the 19th century, and later became established in Britain and especially in the United States. Because the underlying place-name is unclear, its early history is hard to trace with confidence. Modern U.S. usage shows it as an established but relatively uncommon surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Nineteenth-century surname writers grouped Gurley with names like Gurley/Gourley/Gourlay, reflecting how easily spellings shifted before standardization.
From the historical record
“Gurdon, Gerdoun ; a loc. n. Gurley. See Curly Gurnay, Gurney. D.B. Gurnai, Gournay. Gurney, loc. n. Gurry. Gueures, loc. n.”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)