Find out how popular the last name Galán is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Galán.

Galán, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Galán surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Galán in America

Galán is the 4289th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Galán surname appeared 8,293 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Galán.

We can also compare 2010 data for Galán to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Galán

The surname Galan has its origins in Spain, where it emerged during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "galán," which means a gallant or a courteous man. This word traces its roots back to the Late Latin term "galeanus," meaning "helmet" or "headpiece."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Galan can be found in the medieval Spanish epic poem "El Cantar de Mio Cid," which dates back to the 12th century. In this work, there is a reference to a character named Galán, who was a knight in the service of the legendary Spanish hero El Cid Campeador.

During the 15th century, the surname Galan appeared in various historical records and documents across Spain. For example, in 1492, a man named Rodrigo Galan was listed as a resident of the city of Seville in the census records of that time.

The surname Galan has also been associated with several notable historical figures over the centuries. One such individual was Juan Galan (1539-1597), a Spanish explorer and navigator who participated in expeditions to the Americas and helped establish settlements in present-day Mexico and Florida.

Another prominent figure with the surname Galan was Pedro Galan (1768-1837), a Spanish military officer who played a significant role in the Peninsular War against the French Empire during the early 19th century. He rose to the rank of General and was awarded various honors for his service.

In the realm of literature, the name Galan is associated with the Spanish playwright and poet Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1600-1681), whose full name was Pedro Calderón de la Barca y Henao. One of his most famous works, the play "La vida es sueño" (Life is a Dream), features a character named Rosaura who disguises herself as a man and adopts the name Galan.

While the surname Galan has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. For instance, there have been notable individuals with this surname in Latin American countries such as Mexico, Argentina, and Chile, as well as in parts of Europe and North America.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Galán

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Galán.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Galán was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Galán has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Galán was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Galán, please contact us.

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