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

Gale, 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 Gale surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gale in America

Gale is the 2296th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gale surname appeared 15,866 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Gale.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gale 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 Gale

The surname GALE is of Old English origin, derived from the word "gal" meaning "loud" or "boisterous." It likely originated in the northern regions of England, particularly Yorkshire, during the early medieval period.

The earliest recorded mention of the name GALE can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Galle" and "Gail." This suggests that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest.

During the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Gale," "Gayle," and "Gail," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common at the time. Some early bearers of the name include William Gale, recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1207, and Reginald de Gale, mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1279.

The name GALE may also be derived from the Old English word "gal," meaning "madness" or "frenzy," suggesting that it could have been used as a nickname for an excitable or high-spirited person.

Historically, the surname GALE has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest was Theophilus Gale (1628-1678), an English nonconformist minister and prolific writer. Another prominent bearer was Thomas Gale (1636-1702), an English classical scholar and antiquarian.

In the 18th century, Benjamin Gale (1715-1790) was a renowned English Baptist minister and author, while Samuel Gale (1682-1754) was a distinguished English antiquarian and editor of the Registrum Honoris de Richmond.

Moving into the 19th century, Reverend Frederick Gale (1832-1904) was an English clergyman and author of several works on ancient history and archaeology. He was also a prominent figure in the development of the University of Oxford's Ashmolean Museum.

Throughout its history, the surname GALE has been linked to various locations, including the village of Gale in North Yorkshire, which may have influenced the name's origins. Additionally, the surname is found in various place names, such as Galeborough in Lincolnshire and Gale Green in Cheshire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gale

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

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 Gale 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 Gale 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 Gale was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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