2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Galfo
An Italian surname derived from "Gallo", meaning rooster or cockerel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Galfo. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Galfo 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Galfo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Galfo, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.4%) and Hispanic (6.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Galfo
The surname GALFO has its origins in Italy, tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Latin word "gallus," which means "rooster" or "cockerel." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname for someone with a distinctive gait or a loud voice, resembling the characteristics of a rooster.
The earliest recorded instances of the name GALFO can be found in historical documents from the regions of Campania and Basilicata in southern Italy. The name appeared in various spellings, such as Galfo, Gallo, and Galli, with slight regional variations.
One notable mention of the name GALFO is in the "Codice Diplomatico Barese," a collection of medieval charters and documents from the city of Bari, dating back to the 11th century. This document references a certain "Petrus Galfo," indicating the presence of the name in the region during that period.
In the 14th century, the name GALFO was recorded in the "Rationes Decimarum Italiae," a census of the papal tax records from the Kingdom of Naples. This document lists several individuals with the surname GALFO, suggesting that the name was well-established in southern Italy by that time.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname GALFO. One such example is Giovanni Battista Galfo (1588-1658), an Italian painter from Naples who was renowned for his religious works and frescoes adorning churches in and around the city.
Another prominent figure was Nicola Galfo (1773-1844), an Italian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Neapolitan Parliament during the Napoleonic era. He was known for his advocacy of legal reforms and his support for the unification of Italy.
In the 20th century, Giuseppe Galfo (1901-1972) was an Italian-American author and playwright who gained recognition for his novels and plays depicting the experiences of Italian immigrants in the United States.
Additionally, Maria Galfo (1925-2010) was an Italian actress and singer who appeared in numerous films and stage productions throughout her career, particularly in the genre of Neapolitan comedy.
The surname GALFO has also been associated with various place names in southern Italy, such as the town of Galfo in the province of Campobasso, and the village of Galfo in the province of Potenza, further reinforcing its regional origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Galfo
Among Census respondents with the surname Galfo, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.4%) and Hispanic (6.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Galfo 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 Galfo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.9% · 97
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.4% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 8
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Galfo
Galfo 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+11 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,089 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+6 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,077 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 2,089 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.4%) | Up 4,077 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 Galfo 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 | #148,347 | #144,270 | 2.7% |
| Count | 111 | 117 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Galfo bearers went from 111 to 117 (+5.4% change). The surname moved up 4,077 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #144,270.
FAQ
Galfo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Galfo?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Galfo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Galfo?
Galfo ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 117 people with the surname Galfo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Galfo.
Has Galfo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Galfo went from 111 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 6 (+5.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Galfo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Galfo, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.4%) and Hispanic (6.8%). 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 Galfo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.9% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Galfo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (9.4%), Hispanic (6.8%). 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 Galfo (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 Galfo mean?
An Italian surname derived from "Gallo", meaning rooster or cockerel. 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 Galfo (0.04 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 are called Galfo?
Find out how many people have the surname Galfo on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.