2000
#1,199
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,730
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.91
Uncommon Last name
Galindo
A Spanish surname derived from the Visigothic personal name "Galindo," meaning "one who is brave or courageous."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 41,062 Americans carry the last name Galindo. That puts it at #961 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 11.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,347 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Galindo 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
41K
1 in 8,347
Census rank
#961
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
12.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
36K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 35,808 bearers of the surname Galindo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 11.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 961st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Galindo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Galindo
The surname Galindo is of Spanish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era in the Iberian Peninsula. The name is derived from the ancient Iberian personal name "Galindo" or "Galindus," which is believed to have Germanic or Visigothic origins.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Galindo can be found in the Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla, a medieval cartulary from the Kingdom of Navarre, dating back to the 11th century. This document contains references to individuals bearing the name Galindo, suggesting its widespread usage in that region during that time period.
The name Galindo has also been linked to various place names across Spain, such as the village of Galindos in the province of Salamanca and the town of Galindo y Perahuy in the Basque Country. These place names may have influenced the adoption of the surname or vice versa, reflecting the deep-rooted connection between the name and the geography of the region.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the surname Galindo, including:
1. Nuño Galindo (c. 1470-1553), a Spanish conquistador and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico.
2. Pedro Galindo (c. 1530-1599), a Spanish Dominican friar and missionary who played a significant role in the evangelization of the Philippines.
3. Beatriz Galindo (c. 1465-1534), also known as La Latina, a renowned humanist and educator who served as a tutor to the children of Ferdinand and Isabella, the Catholic Monarchs of Spain.
4. Juan Galindo (c. 1802-1839), a Spanish-born military officer and explorer who played a crucial role in the exploration and mapping of Central America in the early 19th century.
5. Luis Galindo (c. 1760-1833), a Spanish military officer and engineer who served as the Governor of Guatemala from 1827 to 1830.
The surname Galindo has been carried across various parts of the Spanish-speaking world, including Latin America, as a result of the Spanish colonial expansion. It remains a prominent surname in countries like Mexico, Guatemala, and Colombia, among others, reflecting the lasting influence of Spanish culture and heritage in these regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Galindo
Among Census respondents with the surname Galindo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Galindo 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 Galindo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.0% · 32,945
- White6.0% · 2,157
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 322
- Two or more races0.4% · 148
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 138
- Black or African American0.3% · 98
Timeline
Historical Census data for Galindo
Galindo 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
#954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,429
+9,699 bearers (+36.3%)
Per 100,000 12.35
Rank movement Up 245 places
2020
#961
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 35,808
-621 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 11.98
Rank movement Down 7 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,199 | 26,730 | 9.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #954 | 36,429 | 12.35 | +9,699 bearers (+36.3%) | Up 245 places |
| 2020 | #961 | 35,808 | 11.98 | -621 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 7 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 Galindo 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 | #954 | #961 | -0.7% |
| Count | 36,429 | 35,808 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 12.35 | 11.98 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Galindo bearers went from 36,429 to 35,808 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 7 positions in the national ranking, going from #954 to #961.
FAQ
Galindo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Galindo?
Name Census estimates that about 41,062 living Americans carry the surname Galindo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,347 residents.
How common is Galindo?
Galindo ranks #961 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 11.98 per 100,000 residents, which is about 12 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 35,808 people with the surname Galindo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (41,062), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 11.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 11.98 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 12 of them to have the surname Galindo.
Has Galindo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Galindo went from 36,429 recorded bearers to 35,808. That is a decrease of 621 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #954 to #961.
What does the Census say about the background of Galindo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Galindo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (6.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Galindo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (32,945 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Galindo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.0%), White (6.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Galindo (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 Galindo mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the Visigothic personal name "Galindo," meaning "one who is brave or courageous." 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 Galindo (11.98 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 Galindo?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.