2000
#6,402
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,897
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.82
Rare Last name
Galbreath
A Scottish and Irish topographical surname referring to someone who lived by a stream in a wooded valley.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,557 Americans carry the last name Galbreath. That puts it at #6,696 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 61,680 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Galbreath 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 Galbreath with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.6K
1 in 61,680
Census rank
#6,696
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,846 bearers of the surname Galbreath in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6696th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Galbreath, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.0%. The next largest groups are Black (20.6%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Galbreath
The surname Galbreath has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the early medieval period. The name is believed to be derived from the Scottish Gaelic words "gall," meaning "stranger" or "foreigner," and "bràth," meaning "judgment" or "betrayal." It is thought to have been a descriptive surname given to someone who was perceived as a foreigner or outsider.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented the individuals who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during his conquest of Scotland. The name appears as "Gillebrath," which is likely an earlier spelling variation.
In the 14th century, the name was recorded as "Galbraith" in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, indicating the presence of individuals bearing this surname in the country during that time period. The spelling "Galbreath" emerged later, potentially as a result of regional dialect variations or scribal errors.
Notable historical figures with the surname Galbreath include Sir John Galbraith (c. 1330-1380), a Scottish knight and courtier who served under King David II of Scotland. Another prominent individual was James Galbraith (1642-1732), a Scottish minister and author who wrote extensively on theological subjects.
In the 16th century, the Galbreath family was associated with the lands of Balgair and Culcruich in Fife, Scotland. William Galbraith of Balgair (c. 1520-1590) was a respected landowner and influential figure in the local community.
Across the Atlantic, one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname in America was that of John Galbreath (1747-1832), a Scottish immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania and served in the American Revolutionary War.
Other notable individuals with the surname Galbreath include Robert Galbreath (1824-1899), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the city of Galbreath, Texas, and James Galbreath (1861-1946), a Scottish-born American businessman and politician who served as the 19th Lieutenant Governor of California.
Overall, the surname Galbreath has a rich history rooted in medieval Scotland, with various spelling variations and regional associations emerging over the centuries. Its meaning and origin reflect the complex interplay of language, culture, and societal dynamics that shaped the naming practices of the time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Galbreath
Among Census respondents with the surname Galbreath, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.0%. The next largest groups are Black (20.6%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Galbreath 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 Galbreath surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.0% · 3,346
- Black or African American20.6% · 996
- Two or more races5.0% · 243
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 182
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 52
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for Galbreath
Galbreath 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
#6,655
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,083
+186 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.72
Rank movement Down 253 places
2020
#6,696
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,846
-237 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.62
Rank movement Down 41 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,402 | 4,897 | 1.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,655 | 5,083 | 1.72 | +186 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 253 places |
| 2020 | #6,696 | 4,846 | 1.62 | -237 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 41 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 Galbreath 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 | #6,655 | #6,696 | -0.6% |
| Count | 5,083 | 4,846 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.72 | 1.62 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Galbreath bearers went from 5,083 to 4,846 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 41 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,655 to #6,696.
FAQ
Galbreath surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Galbreath?
Name Census estimates that about 5,557 living Americans carry the surname Galbreath. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 61,680 residents.
How common is Galbreath?
Galbreath ranks #6,696 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,846 people with the surname Galbreath. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,557), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Galbreath.
Has Galbreath become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Galbreath went from 5,083 recorded bearers to 4,846. That is a decrease of 237 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,655 to #6,696.
What does the Census say about the background of Galbreath?
Among Census respondents with the surname Galbreath, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.0%. The next largest groups are Black (20.6%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Galbreath in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.0% (3,346 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Galbreath appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.0%), Black (20.6%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Galbreath (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 Galbreath mean?
A Scottish and Irish topographical surname referring to someone who lived by a stream in a wooded valley. 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 Galbreath (1.62 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 have the surname Galbreath?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.