2000
#71,808
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 253
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Gallegly
An English locational surname derived from a place in Northumberland, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 308 Americans carry the last name Gallegly. That puts it at #76,963 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,112,839 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gallegly 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.
Bearers in the US
308
1 in 1,112,839
Census rank
#76,963
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
269
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 269 bearers of the surname Gallegly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 76963rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gallegly, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.2%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gallegly
The surname Gallegly originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from an old English locational name, referring to someone who lived near a gallows or a place where executions occurred. The name is thought to have evolved from the Old English word "galga," meaning "gallows."
In its earliest recorded forms, the surname appeared as "de Galgehull" and "Galehou" in the Domesday Book of 1086, a manuscript record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. These early spellings suggest the name may have been associated with a specific place, possibly related to a gallows hill or execution site.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William de Galgehull, who held lands in Warwickshire, England, in the 12th century. Another notable individual was John Gallegly, a merchant from Bristol, who was mentioned in records from the 14th century.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, variations of the surname included "Galgely," "Galgeley," and "Galgely." These spellings likely reflected regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure with the surname was Sir Robert Gallegly (1712-1789), a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. He was known for his role in the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775.
Another notable individual was William Gallegly (1820-1895), an English author and journalist who wrote extensively on social and political issues of his time. He was also a member of the Royal Society of Literature.
In the 19th century, the Gallegly family had established roots in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Lancashire. Several members of the family were involved in various trades and professions, including farming, manufacturing, and education.
Overall, the surname Gallegly has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval England, with its origins likely rooted in a locational name associated with a gallows or execution site. Despite variations in spelling over the centuries, the name has maintained its distinct identity and has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gallegly
Among Census respondents with the surname Gallegly, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.2%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Gallegly 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 Gallegly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.7% · 236
- Hispanic or Latino8.2% · 22
- Two or more races2.6% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gallegly
Gallegly 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
#71,886
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 271
+18 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 78 places
2020
#76,963
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 269
-2 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 5,077 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #71,808 | 253 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #71,886 | 271 | 0.09 | +18 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 78 places |
| 2020 | #76,963 | 269 | 0.09 | -2 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 5,077 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 Gallegly 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 | #71,886 | #76,963 | -7.1% |
| Count | 271 | 269 | -0.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.09 | -0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gallegly bearers went from 271 to 269 (-0.7% change). The surname moved down 5,077 positions in the national ranking, going from #71,886 to #76,963.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Gallegly
FAQ
Gallegly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gallegly?
Name Census estimates that about 308 living Americans carry the surname Gallegly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,112,839 residents.
How common is Gallegly?
Gallegly ranks #76,963 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 269 people with the surname Gallegly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (308), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Gallegly.
Has Gallegly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gallegly went from 271 recorded bearers to 269. That is a decrease of 2 (-0.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #71,886 to #76,963.
What does the Census say about the background of Gallegly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gallegly, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.2%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Gallegly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.7% (236 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gallegly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.7%), Hispanic (8.2%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Gallegly (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 Gallegly mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place in Northumberland, England. 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 Gallegly (0.09 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 many people are called Gallegly?
Find out how many people have the surname Gallegly on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.