2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Galgan
An ancient surname of Scottish origin likely derived from the Gaelic word "gall" meaning foreigner or stranger.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Galgan. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Galgan 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Galgan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Galgan, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Galgan
The surname GALGAN is believed to have originated in Ireland, specifically in the counties of Galway and Mayo, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic words "gall" meaning "foreigner" or "stranger" and "gan" meaning "without." The name was likely given to someone who had no foreign ancestry or connections.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GALGAN can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1265, a man named Donnchadh GALGAN is mentioned as a participant in a battle between Irish clans.
Another notable early record is from the 14th century, where a Seán GALGAN is listed as a landowner in the parish of Ballintober, County Mayo. This suggests that the GALGAN family had established itself as a prominent local clan by that time.
In the 16th century, the name GALGAN appears in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official documents from the Tudor period. A Thomas GALGAN is mentioned as receiving a pardon for some unspecified offence in 1589.
One of the most famous historical figures with the surname GALGAN was Tadhg GALGAN (1560-1637), a renowned Irish poet and scholar. He was renowned for his mastery of the Irish language and his poetic works, which often celebrated the culture and heritage of his native Connacht.
Another notable GALGAN was Caitríona GALGAN (1679-1755), a noblewoman from County Galway who is recorded as having played a significant role in the Irish Jacobite movement, supporting the restoration of the Catholic Stuart monarchs to the British throne.
In the 18th century, a Seán GALGAN (1725-1793) from Mayo was a prominent figure in the Irish Rebellion of 1798, fighting against British rule in Ireland.
The surname GALGAN is also found in some early American records, with a Patrick GALGAN (1785-1856) being one of the first recorded immigrants of that name, arriving in New York from Ireland in the early 19th century.
Over the centuries, the spelling of the name has remained relatively consistent, with minor variations such as GALLIGAN and GALLIGHAN occasionally appearing in historical records.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Galgan
Among Census respondents with the surname Galgan, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Galgan 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 Galgan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.1% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino8.3% · 10
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Galgan
Galgan 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+3 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,325 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+6 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,832 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 6,325 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.2%) | Up 2,832 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 Galgan 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 | #144,141 | #141,309 | 2.0% |
| Count | 115 | 121 | 5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Galgan bearers went from 115 to 121 (+5.2% change). The surname moved up 2,832 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #141,309.
FAQ
Galgan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Galgan?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Galgan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Galgan?
Galgan ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Galgan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Galgan.
Has Galgan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Galgan went from 115 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 6 (+5.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #144,141 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Galgan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Galgan, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.3%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Galgan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.1% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Galgan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.1%), Hispanic (8.3%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Galgan (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 Galgan mean?
An ancient surname of Scottish origin likely derived from the Gaelic word "gall" meaning foreigner or stranger. 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 Galgan (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 share the surname Galgan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.