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

Gallant, 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 Gallant surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gallant in America

Gallant is the 3931st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gallant surname appeared 9,051 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Gallant.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gallant 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 Gallant

The surname "GALLANT" originates from France, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "gaillart," meaning "lively" or "high-spirited." The name likely referred to someone with a cheerful or courageous demeanor.

In its early days, the name was primarily concentrated in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Brittany. Records from the 13th century show variations in spelling, such as "Gallan" and "Gallart," which eventually evolved into the modern form of "Gallant."

One of the earliest known references to the name appears in the Livre des Métiers, a medieval guild register from Paris, dated around 1268. It mentions a "Jehan Gallant," who was a member of the tailors' guild.

The name also appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners in England compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. Several individuals with the surname "Gallant" or similar spellings are listed as landowners or tenants in various counties.

Notable individuals with the surname "Gallant" throughout history include:

1. Sir Thomas Gallant (c. 1490-1551), an English soldier and member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII.
2. Pierre Gallant (1642-1714), a French colonist and one of the earliest settlers in Acadia (now Nova Scotia, Canada).
3. Jean-Baptiste Gallant (1773-1838), a French-Canadian farmer and political figure who served in the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada.
4. Mavis Gallant (1922-2014), a celebrated Canadian novelist and short story writer known for her exquisite prose and depictions of exile and displacement.
5. Dexter Gallant (born 1976), a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the NHL for teams such as the Calgary Flames and New York Rangers.

While the surname "Gallant" has French origins, it has spread to various parts of the world, including Canada, the United States, and other English-speaking countries, due to migration and cultural exchange over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gallant

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

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

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

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