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

Gallaway, 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 Gallaway surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gallaway in America

Gallaway is the 11683rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gallaway surname appeared 2,683 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Gallaway.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gallaway 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 Gallaway

The surname Gallaway has its origins in Scotland, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "gall," meaning "stranger" or "foreigner," and "àth," meaning "ford" or "stream crossing." This combination suggests that the name initially referred to a person who lived near a ford or stream crossing frequented by foreigners or strangers.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in historical Scottish records and charters from the 13th century. One notable example is a mention of a "Willelmus de Galhauath" in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document recording the submission of Scottish noblemen to King Edward I of England.

In the 15th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Galloway, Gallowaie, and Gallua, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. One prominent figure bearing this name was Sir Andrew Galloway, a Scottish knight who fought alongside King James IV at the Battle of Flodden in 1513.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Gallaway surname spread beyond Scotland as families migrated to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the American colonies. Notable bearers of the name from this period include John Galloway (1592-1653), a Scottish minister and theologian, and Joseph Galloway (1731-1803), a prominent American loyalist during the Revolutionary War.

In the 18th century, the surname continued to appear in historical records, including mention of a William Gallaway who served as a captain in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. Another notable figure was Samuel Gallaway (1783-1851), an English mathematician and astronomer.

As the name spread worldwide, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Galloway, Gallawey, and Gallawe. Some prominent individuals bearing this surname in the 19th and early 20th centuries include Sir Ralph Gallaway (1833-1908), a British politician and member of parliament, and Roger Gallaway (1886-1962), an American artist and illustrator.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gallaway

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

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

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

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