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

Galley, 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 Galley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Galley in America

Galley is the 22721st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Galley surname appeared 1,128 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 Galley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Galley 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 Galley

The surname Galley is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "galie" or "galée," meaning a galley or a type of medieval ship. It is believed that the name first emerged in England around the 13th century, likely referring to someone who worked on or was associated with these vessels.

During the Middle Ages, the Galley name appeared in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1279, where it was recorded as "Galye." This early spelling variation suggests a direct link to the Old French word "galie."

One of the earliest known bearers of the Galley surname was John Galley, who was mentioned in the records of the Borough of Colchester, Essex, in 1365. This reference provides evidence of the name's presence in medieval England.

In the 16th century, the Galley surname was also found in the parish records of St. Michael's Church in Stamford, Lincolnshire. The christening of Margaret Galley was recorded there in 1570, indicating the continued use and spread of the name across different regions of England.

Notably, the Galley name has been associated with several prominent individuals throughout history. One such figure was Sir Robert Galley (1565-1644), an English merchant and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme in 1625 and 1626.

Another notable bearer of the Galley surname was Edmund Galley (1599-1675), an English clergyman and author who served as the chaplain to King Charles I during the English Civil War. His literary works include "A Treatise of the Forme of Prayer," published in 1642.

In the 18th century, the Galley name gained further recognition with the birth of John Gaspard Galley (1715-1782), a French-born British painter and engraver known for his landscape paintings and etchings.

Towards the 19th century, Thomas Galley (1780-1855) was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Pavilion in Brighton and the Canberra Memorial in London.

Furthermore, the Galley surname has been linked to various place names in England, such as Galley Hill in Kent and Galley Wood in Surrey, which may have influenced the origin and spread of the name in certain regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Galley

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

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

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

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