2000
#8,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,703
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.37
Rare Last name
Gales
Derived from the Old English word "gal," referring to someone who was jovial, merry, or lighthearted.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,449 Americans carry the last name Gales. That puts it at #8,173 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,041 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gales 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 Gales with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 77,041
Census rank
#8,173
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,880 bearers of the surname Gales in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8173rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gales, the largest self-reported group is Black at 53.4%. The next largest groups are White (35.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gales
The surname GALES is of English origin, with roots dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "gales," meaning "wind" or "gale." This name likely referred to someone who lived in an exposed or windy area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GALES surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a Johannes de Gales from Oxfordshire. The name also appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, referencing a William Gales.
During the Middle Ages, the GALES surname was often associated with place names containing the word "gale," such as Gale in Yorkshire and Gales in Surrey. Some early bearers of the name may have hailed from these locations or nearby areas.
In the 14th century, the GALES surname appeared in several historical records, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, which mentions a John Gales. The name also surfaces in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, listing a Robert Gales.
Notable individuals with the GALES surname throughout history include John Gales (1680-1762), an English Baptist minister and author, and Joseph Gales (1761-1841), an English journalist and publisher who emigrated to the United States and established the National Intelligencer newspaper.
Another prominent figure was Samuel Gales (1788-1838), an American journalist and politician who served as the Mayor of Washington, D.C., from 1827 to 1830. He was the son of Joseph Gales mentioned earlier.
In the realm of literature, Ann Gales (1805-1878), an English novelist and writer, gained recognition for her works, including "The Miser's Daughter" and "The Wye and its Associations."
Additionally, Sir Edward Gales (1837-1909), a British civil engineer and surveyor, made significant contributions to the construction of railways and public works projects in India during the 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gales
Among Census respondents with the surname Gales, the largest self-reported group is Black at 53.4%. The next largest groups are White (35.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gales 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 Gales surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American53.4% · 2,072
- White35.1% · 1,361
- Two or more races4.7% · 183
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 168
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 72
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gales
Gales 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
#7,937
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,169
+466 bearers (+12.6%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Up 299 places
2020
#8,173
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,880
-289 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Down 236 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,236 | 3,703 | 1.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,937 | 4,169 | 1.41 | +466 bearers (+12.6%) | Up 299 places |
| 2020 | #8,173 | 3,880 | 1.30 | -289 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 236 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 Gales 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 | #7,937 | #8,173 | -3.0% |
| Count | 4,169 | 3,880 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.41 | 1.30 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gales bearers went from 4,169 to 3,880 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 236 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,937 to #8,173.
FAQ
Gales surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gales?
Name Census estimates that about 4,449 living Americans carry the surname Gales. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,041 residents.
How common is Gales?
Gales ranks #8,173 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.30 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 3,880 people with the surname Gales. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,449), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.30 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 Gales.
Has Gales become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gales went from 4,169 recorded bearers to 3,880. That is a decrease of 289 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,937 to #8,173.
What does the Census say about the background of Gales?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gales, the largest self-reported group is Black at 53.4%. The next largest groups are White (35.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gales in the 2020 Census, accounting for 53.4% (2,072 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gales appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (53.4%), White (35.1%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Gales (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 Gales mean?
Derived from the Old English word "gal," referring to someone who was jovial, merry, or lighthearted. 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 Gales (1.30 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 Gales?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.