2000
#1,460
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,435
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.32
Uncommon Last name
Gallardo
A Spanish surname meaning "gallant," "bold," or "brave," likely referring to a courageous ancestor or person of character.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 35,151 Americans carry the last name Gallardo. That puts it at #1,123 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,751 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gallardo 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Gallardo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
35K
1 in 9,751
Census rank
#1,123
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
31K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 30,653 bearers of the surname Gallardo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1123rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gallardo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gallardo
The surname Gallardo has its origins in Spain, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "gallardo," which means "gallant" or "brave." The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for a courageous or valiant individual.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Gallardo can be found in various Spanish documents and records from the 13th and 14th centuries. It was particularly prevalent in the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura, where many families bore this name.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Gallardo was Fernando Gallardo, a Spanish nobleman who lived in the late 13th century. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Alfonso X of Castile and León, and his name appears in several historical records from that period.
Another notable figure was Juan Gallardo, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in the early 16th century. He played a significant role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire and later settled in the region.
In the realm of literature, Pedro Gallardo was a renowned Spanish poet and playwright from the late 16th century. His works, including plays and sonnets, were widely celebrated during the Golden Age of Spanish literature.
Moving forward in time, Miguel Gallardo y Gallardo (1670-1753) was a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Panama from 1721 to 1727. He is remembered for his efforts in fortifying the city and improving its defenses.
In the 19th century, José María Gallardo (1805-1868) was a prominent Spanish bibliographer and scholar. He dedicated his life to the study and preservation of rare books and manuscripts, making significant contributions to the field of bibliography.
Throughout history, the surname Gallardo has been associated with bravery, valor, and a sense of gallantry, reflecting its original meaning. While the name has spread across various regions and countries, its Spanish roots and connections to notable individuals remain deeply ingrained in its legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gallardo
Among Census respondents with the surname Gallardo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gallardo 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 Gallardo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.3% · 27,360
- White5.6% · 1,723
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.7% · 1,144
- Two or more races0.7% · 209
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 121
- Black or African American0.3% · 96
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gallardo
Gallardo 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
#1,096
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 31,909
+9,474 bearers (+42.2%)
Per 100,000 10.82
Rank movement Up 364 places
2020
#1,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,653
-1,256 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 10.26
Rank movement Down 27 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,460 | 22,435 | 8.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,096 | 31,909 | 10.82 | +9,474 bearers (+42.2%) | Up 364 places |
| 2020 | #1,123 | 30,653 | 10.26 | -1,256 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 27 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 Gallardo 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 | #1,096 | #1,123 | -2.5% |
| Count | 31,909 | 30,653 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 10.82 | 10.26 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gallardo bearers went from 31,909 to 30,653 (-3.9% change). The surname moved down 27 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,096 to #1,123.
FAQ
Gallardo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gallardo?
Name Census estimates that about 35,151 living Americans carry the surname Gallardo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,751 residents.
How common is Gallardo?
Gallardo ranks #1,123 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 10.26 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 30,653 people with the surname Gallardo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (35,151), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 10.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 10.26 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Gallardo.
Has Gallardo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gallardo went from 31,909 recorded bearers to 30,653. That is a decrease of 1,256 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,096 to #1,123.
What does the Census say about the background of Gallardo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gallardo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%). 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 Gallardo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (27,360 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gallardo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.3%), White (5.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%). 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 Gallardo (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 Gallardo mean?
A Spanish surname meaning "gallant," "bold," or "brave," likely referring to a courageous ancestor or person of character. 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 Gallardo (10.26 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 Gallardo?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.