Find out how popular the last name Galiza is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Galiza.

Galiza, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Galiza surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Galiza in America

Galiza is the 53538th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Galiza surname appeared 386 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Galiza.

We can also compare 2010 data for Galiza to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Galiza

The surname Galiza originates from the historic region of Galicia, located in the northwestern corner of Spain. The name's roots can be traced back to the medieval period, when the Kingdom of Galicia was a prominent political entity within the Iberian Peninsula.

Galiza is derived from the Latin word "Gallaecia," which referred to the Celtic tribe known as the Gallaeci who inhabited the area during ancient times. The name evolved over the centuries, with variations such as "Galiza" and "Galicia" becoming more common.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Galiza can be found in the Codex Calixtinus, a 12th-century manuscript that served as a guidebook for pilgrims traveling to the famous Santiago de Compostela. This document provides invaluable insights into the history and culture of the region during the Middle Ages.

In the 13th century, the name Galiza appeared in the Cantigas de Santa Maria, a collection of poems and songs written by King Alfonso X of Castile and León. This literary work celebrated the Virgin Mary and often referenced places and people from the region of Galicia.

Notable individuals who bore the surname Galiza throughout history include Pedro Galiza (c. 1120-1190), a Galician nobleman and military leader who played a crucial role in the reconquest of Portugal from the Moors. Álvaro Galiza (c. 1300-1370) was a renowned Galician poet and troubadour whose works contributed significantly to the development of Galician-Portuguese literature.

During the Renaissance period, Juan Galiza (c. 1480-1550) was a prominent Galician architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Monastery of San Martín Pinario in Santiago de Compostela. Rodrigo Galiza (c. 1520-1590) was a Galician explorer and navigator who accompanied Francisco Pizarro on his expeditions to Peru and played a significant role in the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire.

In more recent times, Ramón Galiza (1888-1963) was a Galician writer and journalist who was instrumental in promoting the revival of Galician culture and language during the early 20th century.

Throughout its long history, the surname Galiza has maintained strong ties to the region of Galicia, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and resilience of the Galician people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Galiza

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Galiza.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Galiza was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Galiza has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Galiza was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Galiza, please contact us.

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