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

Gallagos, 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 Gallagos surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gallagos in America

Gallagos is the 102688th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gallagos surname appeared 175 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 Gallagos.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gallagos 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 Gallagos

The surname GALLAGOS has its origins in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the region of Galicia, located in northwestern Spain. This name can be traced back to the 8th century, during the Reconquista period when the Christian kingdoms of the north were reclaiming territory from the Moors.

The name GALLAGOS is believed to derive from the Galician-Portuguese word "galo," meaning rooster or cock. It is likely that the name was initially a nickname or descriptive term given to someone who possessed traits or characteristics associated with a rooster, such as being boastful, aggressive, or having a distinctive crow or walk.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the GALLAGOS name can be found in the Cartulario de Sobrado, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 12th century. This document contains several references to individuals bearing the surname, including Petrus Gallagos, who was a landowner in the region.

During the 13th century, the GALLAGOS name began to spread beyond Galicia as the Reconquista progressed southward. Some notable individuals from this era include Rodrigo Gallagos, a soldier who fought in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212, and María Gallagos, a noblewoman who was a patron of the arts and literature.

In the 15th century, a branch of the GALLAGOS family settled in the town of Peñafiel, located in the province of Valladolid, where they became prominent landowners and wine producers. One notable member of this lineage was Juan Gallagos, who served as a councilor to King Ferdinand II of Aragon in the late 15th century.

As the Spanish Empire expanded into the Americas in the 16th and 17th centuries, the GALLAGOS name traveled across the Atlantic, with several individuals bearing this surname participating in the conquest and colonization of the New World. One such figure was Diego Gallagos, a conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the early 1500s.

Throughout its history, the GALLAGOS name has also been associated with various place names and locations, such as the village of Galegos in Portugal and the Gallagos River in Spain. Additionally, variations of the spelling, such as Gallegos and Galegas, have been documented over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gallagos

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

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 Gallagos 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 Gallagos 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 Gallagos was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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