2000
#5,290
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,057
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.25
Rare Last name
Galan
A Spanish surname derived from the word "galán," meaning a gallant, courteous, or well-dressed man.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,001 Americans carry the last name Galan. That puts it at #4,367 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,080 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Galan 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 Galan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.0K
1 in 38,080
Census rank
#4,367
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,849 bearers of the surname Galan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4367th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Galan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.8%. The next largest groups are White (10.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Galan
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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Galan
Among Census respondents with the surname Galan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.8%. The next largest groups are White (10.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Galan 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 Galan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino84.8% · 6,658
- White10.8% · 845
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.0% · 234
- Black or African American0.6% · 48
- Two or more races0.5% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for Galan
Galan 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
#4,289
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,293
+2,236 bearers (+36.9%)
Per 100,000 2.81
Rank movement Up 1,001 places
2020
#4,367
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,849
-444 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 2.63
Rank movement Down 78 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,290 | 6,057 | 2.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,289 | 8,293 | 2.81 | +2,236 bearers (+36.9%) | Up 1,001 places |
| 2020 | #4,367 | 7,849 | 2.63 | -444 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 78 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 Galan 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 | #4,289 | #4,367 | -1.8% |
| Count | 8,293 | 7,849 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.81 | 2.63 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Galan bearers went from 8,293 to 7,849 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 78 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,289 to #4,367.
FAQ
Galan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Galan?
Name Census estimates that about 9,001 living Americans carry the surname Galan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,080 residents.
How common is Galan?
Galan ranks #4,367 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,849 people with the surname Galan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,001), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Galan.
Has Galan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Galan went from 8,293 recorded bearers to 7,849. That is a decrease of 444 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,289 to #4,367.
What does the Census say about the background of Galan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Galan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 84.8%. The next largest groups are White (10.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Galan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.8% (6,658 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Galan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (84.8%), White (10.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%). 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 Galan (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 Galan mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "galán," meaning a gallant, courteous, or well-dressed man. 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 Galan (2.63 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 Galan?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Galan at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.