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

Galle, 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 Galle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Galle in America

Galle is the 12101st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Galle surname appeared 2,575 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 Galle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Galle 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 Galle

The surname Galle has its origins in France, dating back to the early 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "galle," meaning "oak gall," which was used to produce ink and dyes. This suggests that the name may have been associated with those involved in the production or trade of these materials.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a manuscript from the year 1264, which mentions a person named "Guillelmus de Galle" in the region of Normandy, France. The name is also found in various other historical records from the same period, indicating its widespread use across different parts of the country.

During the 14th century, the name Galle appeared in the records of the city of Paris, where it was linked to several notable individuals. One such person was Jean Galle, a prominent merchant and member of the guild of weavers, who lived from approximately 1320 to 1385.

As the centuries progressed, the name Galle spread across Europe, with various spellings emerging in different regions. In Germany, for instance, the name was sometimes written as "Gallen," while in the Netherlands, it took the form of "Galle" or "Gallen."

Notable figures throughout history who bore the surname Galle include:

1. Philippe Galle (1537-1612), a renowned Flemish printmaker and publisher, known for his intricate engravings and collaborations with renowned artists of his time.

2. André Galle (1761-1844), a French painter and engraver, who was notable for his landscapes and historical scenes.

3. Émile Galle (1846-1904), a French artist and pioneer of the Art Nouveau movement, renowned for his innovative glasswork and furniture designs.

4. Gerrit Galle (1628-1677), a Dutch Golden Age painter, known for his still life paintings and genre scenes.

5. Theodoor Galle (1571-1633), a Flemish engraver and print publisher, who played a significant role in disseminating the works of prominent artists such as Rubens and Van Dyck.

The surname Galle has also been associated with various place names throughout history, including Galle, a coastal city in Sri Lanka, and Galle, a village in the Netherlands.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Galle

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

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

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

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