2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gallington
An English habitational surname derived from a place name referring to someone from Gallington, Yorkshire.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Gallington. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gallington 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.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Gallington in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gallington, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (16.0%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gallington
The surname Gallington is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. The name is believed to have derived from a place name, possibly a town or village called Gallington. This naming pattern was common during that era, with many surnames originating from the locations where individuals or families resided.
One theory suggests that the name Gallington may have originated from a combination of Old English words, such as "gæl" meaning "merry" or "cheerful," and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement." This could indicate that the name referred to a joyful or lively settlement.
Historical records and manuscripts from the 13th century have preserved some of the earliest known instances of the surname Gallington. For example, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a "John de Gallington" residing in the county of Lincolnshire. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 list a "William Gallington" from the county of Yorkshire.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Galington" and "Galingtun," reflecting the evolving spelling conventions of the time. One notable individual from this period was Sir Robert Gallington, a knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the mid-1300s.
The 16th century saw the emergence of several prominent figures bearing the Gallington surname. One such person was John Gallington, a renowned scholar and theologian who attended the University of Oxford in the late 1500s. Another notable figure was Elizabeth Gallington, a renowned poet and writer who published several works in the early 1600s.
As the centuries progressed, the Gallington name spread across various regions of England. In the 18th century, a wealthy merchant named Thomas Gallington made significant contributions to the development of his hometown in the county of Gloucestershire, where he established several charitable institutions.
During the Victorian era, a renowned architect named William Gallington gained recognition for his innovative designs and contributions to the Gothic Revival style of architecture. Some of his notable works include churches and public buildings constructed in the mid-19th century.
Throughout history, the Gallington surname has been associated with individuals from various backgrounds, including scholars, artists, merchants, and military personnel. While the exact origin of the name remains uncertain, its enduring presence across centuries is a testament to its rich cultural heritage and the diverse narratives it encompasses.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gallington
Among Census respondents with the surname Gallington, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (16.0%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Gallington 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 Gallington surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.2% · 93
- Black or African American16.0% · 19
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gallington
Gallington 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-12 bearers (-9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,581 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+5 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,432 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.5%) | Down 19,581 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.4%) | Up 2,432 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 Gallington 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 | #145,220 | #142,788 | 1.7% |
| Count | 114 | 119 | 4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gallington bearers went from 114 to 119 (+4.4% change). The surname moved up 2,432 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #142,788.
FAQ
Gallington surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gallington?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Gallington. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Gallington?
Gallington ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 119 people with the surname Gallington. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Gallington.
Has Gallington become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gallington went from 114 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 5 (+4.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #145,220 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Gallington?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gallington, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (16.0%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gallington in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.2% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gallington appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.2%), Black (16.0%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Gallington (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 Gallington mean?
An English habitational surname derived from a place name referring to someone from Gallington, Yorkshire. 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 Gallington (0.04 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 people have the last name Gallington?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Gallington at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.