2000
#9,536
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Gallion
A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a rocky cliff or precipice.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,412 Americans carry the last name Gallion. That puts it at #10,300 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,456 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gallion 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
3.4K
1 in 100,456
Census rank
#10,300
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,975 bearers of the surname Gallion in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10300th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gallion, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.1%. The next largest groups are Black (14.5%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gallion
The surname Gallion has its origins in the Brittany region of northwestern France, particularly in the area around the town of Gallo. The name is believed to have derived from the Latin word "gallicus," which means "Gallic" or "of the Gauls." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who lived in the Gallic region or had some connection to the Gallic people.
The earliest recorded instances of the Gallion surname can be traced back to the 12th century, appearing in various historical records and manuscripts from that time period. One notable example is the mention of a certain "Geoffroy Gallion" in the Cartulary of the Abbey of Saint-Aubin in Angers, dated around 1150.
In the 13th century, the Gallion name appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that bearers of the name were present in England during the Norman conquest and may have accompanied William or arrived shortly after.
Throughout the centuries, the Gallion surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One such person was Jean Gallion, a French philosopher and theologian who lived from 1615 to 1670. He was a prominent figure in the intellectual circles of his time and authored several works on philosophy and theology.
Another notable bearer of the Gallion name was Sir Robert Gallion, an English naval officer who lived from 1742 to 1808. He achieved distinction during the Napoleonic Wars and was honored for his service with the title of Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.
In the literary world, Charles Gallion, a French author and poet, made his mark in the 19th century. Born in 1825 and passing away in 1892, he published several collections of poetry and was known for his romantic and lyrical style.
The Gallion surname has also been associated with places and landmarks. For instance, there is a small village named Gallion in the Charente-Maritime department of western France, which likely derived its name from the surname or vice versa.
It is important to note that while the Gallion surname has a rich history and can be traced back several centuries, the information provided here is based on historical records and may not reflect the complete or most up-to-date information available.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gallion
Among Census respondents with the surname Gallion, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.1%. The next largest groups are Black (14.5%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Gallion 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 Gallion surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.1% · 2,264
- Black or African American14.5% · 430
- Two or more races4.3% · 127
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 116
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gallion
Gallion 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
#10,193
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,161
+34 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 657 places
2020
#10,300
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,975
-186 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 107 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,536 | 3,127 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,193 | 3,161 | 1.07 | +34 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 657 places |
| 2020 | #10,300 | 2,975 | 1.00 | -186 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 107 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 Gallion 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 | #10,193 | #10,300 | -1.0% |
| Count | 3,161 | 2,975 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.07 | 1.00 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gallion bearers went from 3,161 to 2,975 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 107 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,193 to #10,300.
FAQ
Gallion surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gallion?
Name Census estimates that about 3,412 living Americans carry the surname Gallion. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,456 residents.
How common is Gallion?
Gallion ranks #10,300 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,975 people with the surname Gallion. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,412), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Gallion.
Has Gallion become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gallion went from 3,161 recorded bearers to 2,975. That is a decrease of 186 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,193 to #10,300.
What does the Census say about the background of Gallion?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gallion, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.1%. The next largest groups are Black (14.5%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Gallion in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.1% (2,264 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gallion appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.1%), Black (14.5%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Gallion (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 Gallion mean?
A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a rocky cliff or precipice. 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 Gallion (1.00 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 share the surname Gallion?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.