2000
#13,181
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Galeano
Derived from the Italian surname "Galeano" or "Galiano," likely referring to someone from the Italian town of Gagliano.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,195 Americans carry the last name Galeano. That puts it at #8,616 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 81,705 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Galeano 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
4.2K
1 in 81,705
Census rank
#8,616
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,658 bearers of the surname Galeano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8616th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Galeano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.6%. The next largest groups are White (8.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Galeano
The surname Galeano is of Spanish origin, originating from the region of Galicia in northwestern Spain. It is believed to be derived from the Latin word "Gallaecus," which referred to the Galician people or the Galician region.
The earliest recorded mention of the surname Galeano can be traced back to the 12th century in various medieval Spanish documents and records. During this time, the name was sometimes spelled as "Galiano" or "Galleano," reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Galeano was Rodrigo Galeano, a nobleman who lived in the 13th century and was mentioned in historical records from the Kingdom of León. Another notable figure was Juan Galeano, a scholar and writer from the 15th century, whose works on literature and philosophy were widely circulated in Renaissance Spain.
In the 16th century, the Galeano surname gained prominence when Pedro Galeano (1520-1584) became a renowned explorer and conquistador. He participated in several expeditions to the Americas and played a significant role in the Spanish colonization of parts of South America.
During the 17th century, the Galeano family established itself as a prominent lineage in the region of Galicia. One notable member was María Galeano (1625-1702), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist who funded the construction of several churches and hospitals in the area.
As the Spanish Empire expanded, the Galeano surname spread to various parts of the Americas, particularly in regions where Spanish colonization took place. In the 18th century, José Galeano (1742-1812) was a prominent military leader who fought in the Wars of Independence in South America.
Another notable figure was Eduardo Galeano (1940-2015), a Uruguayan writer, journalist, and novelist, who became widely acclaimed for his works on Latin American history and political commentary. His book "Open Veins of Latin America" was a seminal work that explored the legacy of colonialism and imperialism in the region.
Throughout history, the Galeano surname has been associated with various place names and locations, reflecting the migration patterns and settlements of its bearers. Examples include the town of Galeano in the province of Ávila, Spain, and the neighborhood of Galeano in the city of San Salvador, El Salvador.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Galeano
Among Census respondents with the surname Galeano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.6%. The next largest groups are White (8.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Galeano 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 Galeano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.6% · 3,279
- White8.4% · 309
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 24
- Black or African American0.4% · 16
- Two or more races0.4% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Galeano
Galeano 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
#10,059
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,204
+1,079 bearers (+50.8%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Up 3,122 places
2020
#8,616
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,658
+454 bearers (+14.2%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Up 1,443 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,181 | 2,125 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,059 | 3,204 | 1.09 | +1,079 bearers (+50.8%) | Up 3,122 places |
| 2020 | #8,616 | 3,658 | 1.22 | +454 bearers (+14.2%) | Up 1,443 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 Galeano 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 | #10,059 | #8,616 | 14.3% |
| Count | 3,204 | 3,658 | 14.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.09 | 1.22 | 12.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Galeano bearers went from 3,204 to 3,658 (+14.2% change). The surname moved up 1,443 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,059 to #8,616.
FAQ
Galeano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Galeano?
Name Census estimates that about 4,195 living Americans carry the surname Galeano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 81,705 residents.
How common is Galeano?
Galeano ranks #8,616 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.22 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 3,658 people with the surname Galeano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,195), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.22 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 Galeano.
Has Galeano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Galeano went from 3,204 recorded bearers to 3,658. That is an increase of 454 (+14.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,059 to #8,616.
What does the Census say about the background of Galeano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Galeano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.6%. The next largest groups are White (8.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Galeano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (3,279 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Galeano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.6%), White (8.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.7%). 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 Galeano (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 Galeano mean?
Derived from the Italian surname "Galeano" or "Galiano," likely referring to someone from the Italian town of Gagliano. 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 Galeano (1.22 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 last name Galeano?
You can see how common the surname Galeano is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.