2000
#14,265
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,928
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Galati
Derived from the Italian city of Galatina or the Romanian city of Galați, indicating one's origins.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,189 Americans carry the last name Galati. That puts it at #14,894 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 156,580 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Galati 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
2.2K
1 in 156,580
Census rank
#14,894
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,909 bearers of the surname Galati in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14894th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Galati, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Galati
The surname Galati originates from Italy, with its roots tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the city of Galati, located in the southern region of Puglia. The name is derived from the Latin word "Galatea," which refers to a beautiful mythological figure from Greek mythology.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Galati can be found in a medieval document from the city of Bari, dated around 1220. This document mentions a certain "Petrus Galati," who was a landowner in the area. Another early reference to the name appears in a 14th-century manuscript from the town of Lecce, where a "Nicola Galati" is listed as a local merchant.
During the Renaissance period, the Galati name gained prominence in the city of Naples. In the 16th century, a prominent family of architects and builders bearing the Galati surname left their mark on the city's architectural landscape. One notable figure from this time was Giovan Battista Galati (1530-1598), who designed several churches and palaces in Naples.
As the name spread throughout Italy, it also took on various spelling variations, such as Galante, Galantino, and Galantini. These variations often reflected the regional dialects and linguistic adaptations of different areas.
In the 18th century, a notable scholar and philosopher named Giuseppe Galati (1712-1786) hailed from the town of Martina Franca in Puglia. He authored several works on philosophy and theology and was highly regarded in academic circles of his time.
Another prominent individual with the Galati surname was Vincenzo Galati (1822-1892), a renowned painter from the city of Palermo in Sicily. His works, which often depicted scenes from Sicilian life and landscapes, are celebrated for their vibrant colors and attention to detail.
Moving into the 20th century, Cesare Galati (1901-1978) was an Italian politician and diplomat who served as Italy's ambassador to several countries, including the United States and the Soviet Union. He played a significant role in shaping Italy's foreign policy during the post-World War II era.
Throughout its history, the surname Galati has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, politicians, and more. While its origins can be traced back to a specific region in southern Italy, the name has since spread across the country and beyond, reflecting the rich cultural diversity and historical significance of Italian surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Galati
Among Census respondents with the surname Galati, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Galati 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 Galati surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 1,768
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 77
- Two or more races2.0% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 15
- Black or African American0.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Galati
Galati 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
#14,806
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,003
+75 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 541 places
2020
#14,894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,909
-94 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 88 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,265 | 1,928 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,806 | 2,003 | 0.68 | +75 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 541 places |
| 2020 | #14,894 | 1,909 | 0.64 | -94 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 88 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 Galati 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 | #14,806 | #14,894 | -0.6% |
| Count | 2,003 | 1,909 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.64 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Galati bearers went from 2,003 to 1,909 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 88 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,806 to #14,894.
FAQ
Galati surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Galati?
Name Census estimates that about 2,189 living Americans carry the surname Galati. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 156,580 residents.
How common is Galati?
Galati ranks #14,894 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 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 1,909 people with the surname Galati. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,189), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 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 Galati.
Has Galati become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Galati went from 2,003 recorded bearers to 1,909. That is a decrease of 94 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,806 to #14,894.
What does the Census say about the background of Galati?
Among Census respondents with the surname Galati, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) 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 Galati in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (1,768 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Galati appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (4.0%), 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 Galati (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 Galati mean?
Derived from the Italian city of Galatina or the Romanian city of Galați, indicating one's origins. 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 Galati (0.64 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 Americans have the surname Galati?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.