2000
#8,260
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,689
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.37
Rare Last name
Galante
Derived from the Italian word "galante," meaning gallant, chivalrous, or brave.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,909 Americans carry the last name Galante. That puts it at #9,191 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 87,683 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Galante 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 Galante with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 87,683
Census rank
#9,191
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,409 bearers of the surname Galante in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9191st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Galante, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Galante
The surname Galante originated in Italy, specifically in the regions of Campania and Calabria, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian word "galante," which means "gallant" or "courteous." The name was likely given to someone who exhibited these qualities or had a reputation for being chivalrous and well-mannered.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Galante can be found in the 13th century, in documents from the city of Naples. One notable bearer of this name was Niccolò Galante, a Neapolitan poet and philosopher who lived in the late 15th century and authored several works on ethics and philosophy.
In the 16th century, the Galante family established itself as a prominent noble family in the town of Colobraro, located in the province of Matera, Basilicata. They were granted lands and titles by the Spanish Crown, which ruled over the Kingdom of Naples at the time.
The name Galante also appears in historical records from the town of Cerchiara di Calabria, in the province of Cosenza, Calabria. In the 17th century, a branch of the Galante family settled in this region and became influential landowners and merchants.
One of the most famous bearers of the surname Galante was Domenico Galante, an Italian painter and engraver who lived in the 18th century (1723-1806). He was renowned for his religious paintings and worked extensively in churches and monasteries throughout Naples and the surrounding areas.
Another notable figure with the surname Galante was Antonio Galante (1738-1828), a Neapolitan composer and violinist who composed operas and instrumental works during the Classical period. His works were performed in various Italian courts and theaters.
In the 19th century, Giuseppe Galante (1819-1897) was a prominent Italian historian and archivist who specialized in the history of southern Italy. He published numerous works on the history of Naples and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, drawing extensively from archival materials.
The surname Galante has also been found in other parts of Italy, such as Sicily and Sardinia, although it is most commonly associated with the regions of Campania and Calabria. Over time, the name has spread to other parts of the world through Italian immigration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Galante
Among Census respondents with the surname Galante, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Galante 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 Galante surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.4% · 3,049
- Hispanic or Latino7.2% · 246
- Two or more races2.0% · 69
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 32
- Black or African American0.2% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Galante
Galante 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
#8,217
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,038
+349 bearers (+9.5%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Up 43 places
2020
#9,191
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,409
-629 bearers (-15.6%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Down 974 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,260 | 3,689 | 1.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,217 | 4,038 | 1.37 | +349 bearers (+9.5%) | Up 43 places |
| 2020 | #9,191 | 3,409 | 1.14 | -629 bearers (-15.6%) | Down 974 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 Galante 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 | #8,217 | #9,191 | -11.9% |
| Count | 4,038 | 3,409 | -15.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.37 | 1.14 | -16.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Galante bearers went from 4,038 to 3,409 (-15.6% change). The surname moved down 974 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,217 to #9,191.
FAQ
Galante surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Galante?
Name Census estimates that about 3,909 living Americans carry the surname Galante. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 87,683 residents.
How common is Galante?
Galante ranks #9,191 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,409 people with the surname Galante. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,909), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Galante.
Has Galante become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Galante went from 4,038 recorded bearers to 3,409. That is a decrease of 629 (-15.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,217 to #9,191.
What does the Census say about the background of Galante?
Among Census respondents with the surname Galante, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Galante in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (3,049 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Galante appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.4%), Hispanic (7.2%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Galante (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 Galante mean?
Derived from the Italian word "galante," meaning gallant, chivalrous, or brave. 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 Galante (1.14 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 share the surname Galante?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.