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

Galea, 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 Galea surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Galea in America

Galea is the 24648th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Galea surname appeared 1,013 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Galea.

We can also compare 2010 data for Galea 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 Galea

The surname Galea has its origins in Italy, specifically in the regions of Sicily and Calabria. It is believed to have emerged during the 14th century and is derived from the Italian word "galea," which means a type of galley or war vessel common in the Mediterranean during that era.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Galea can be found in the Sicilian town of Messina, where a record from 1387 mentions a nobleman named Filippo Galea. This suggests that the name was already well-established among the aristocracy of the region by the late 14th century.

In the 16th century, the Galea surname appears in various historical documents from the island of Malta, where many families with Italian roots had settled. The Maltese National Archives contain records of several Galea families, indicating their presence on the island during this period.

One notable individual with the surname Galea was Fra Giovanni Galea, a Knight of the Order of St. John, who was born in Malta in 1585. He played a significant role in defending the island against Ottoman invasions and is remembered for his bravery and military prowess.

During the 17th century, the Galea name spread to other parts of Europe, including Spain and France, as Italian families migrated and settled in these regions. One such individual was Miguel Galea, a Spanish military officer born in 1642 who served in the Spanish army and participated in several campaigns against the French.

In the 18th century, a branch of the Galea family established itself in the Calabrian town of Reggio, where they became prominent landowners and merchants. Paolo Galea, born in 1723, was a successful businessman and philanthropist who funded the construction of a church and several public buildings in the town.

As the Galea surname continued to spread, it also found its way to other parts of the world, including the Americas and Australia, through immigration and exploration. One notable figure was Antonio Galea, an Italian explorer born in 1810 who led several expeditions to South America and is credited with mapping parts of the Amazon rainforest.

Throughout history, the Galea surname has been associated with various professions, including the military, clergy, business, and academia. While its origins can be traced back to the Italian regions of Sicily and Calabria, the name has since become more widespread and can be found in many parts of the world today.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Galea

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!