2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Gailliot
A French surname derived from a Germanic personal name meaning "servant of God".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Gailliot. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gailliot 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Gailliot in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gailliot, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.8%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gailliot
The surname GAILLIOT originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the French word "gaillard," meaning "merry" or "cheerful." The name likely referred to someone with a joyful and lively personality.
The earliest recorded instances of the name GAILLIOT can be found in medieval French records from the 13th and 14th centuries. The name appeared in various spellings, such as Gaillard, Gailliart, and Gaillot, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time.
One notable historical reference to the name GAILLIOT can be found in the 1292 census records of the city of Rouen in Normandy, where a family bearing the name Gaillart is listed among the residents. This indicates that the name was well-established in the region during that period.
In the 15th century, a French soldier named Jean GAILLIOT (1420-1489) gained recognition for his bravery during the Hundred Years' War between England and France. He was knighted for his valor on the battlefield and became known as Sir Jean GAILLIOT.
Another prominent figure with the surname GAILLIOT was Pierre GAILLIOT (1550-1622), a renowned French architect and master builder from the Renaissance period. He is credited with the design and construction of several notable buildings in Paris, including the Palais du Luxembourg.
In the 17th century, Michel GAILLIOT (1632-1701) was a French engraver and printmaker known for his intricate etchings and engravings depicting religious scenes and landscapes. His works were highly sought after by collectors and can be found in various art museums across Europe.
During the 18th century, a French philosopher and writer named Antoine GAILLIOT (1718-1786) gained recognition for his philosophical treatises and essays on moral philosophy and ethics. His works were widely read and discussed among the intellectual circles of his time.
Additionally, the name GAILLIOT was associated with a prominent noble family from the Champagne region of France. The Gailliot family held significant estates and lands in the area, and their name can be traced back to the 12th century through various historical records and documents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gailliot
Among Census respondents with the surname Gailliot, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.8%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gailliot 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 Gailliot surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 93
- Two or more races7.8% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gailliot
Gailliot appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,250 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 4,250 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 Gailliot 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 | #158,432 | #154,182 | 2.7% |
| Count | 102 | 103 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gailliot bearers went from 102 to 103 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 4,250 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #154,182.
FAQ
Gailliot surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gailliot?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Gailliot. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Gailliot?
Gailliot ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Gailliot. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Gailliot.
Has Gailliot become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gailliot went from 102 recorded bearers to 103. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Gailliot?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gailliot, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.8%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Gailliot in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gailliot appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Two or More Races (7.8%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Gailliot (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 Gailliot mean?
A French surname derived from a Germanic personal name meaning "servant of God". 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 Gailliot (0.03 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 Gailliot?
You can see how common the surname Gailliot is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.