2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gallitz
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "from Gallitz," a town in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Gallitz. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gallitz 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Gallitz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gallitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gallitz
The surname GALLITZ originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, with its roots dating back to the 12th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Old German word "gail," meaning "high-spirited" or "joyful," combined with the suffix "-itz," indicating a place of origin.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GALLITZ name can be found in the Bávarian town of Gailitz, which was mentioned in the "Codex Diplomaticus" manuscript from 1146. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone from Gailitz or a nearby area.
During the 13th century, variations of the GALLITZ name began appearing in historical records across Bavaria and parts of Austria. The spellings "Gailitz," "Gailitzer," and "Gaylitz" were common during this period.
In the 15th century, a notable bearer of the GALLITZ name was Hans Gailitz (1420-1487), a respected guild master and merchant from the city of Nuremberg. His descendants continued to use the GALLITZ surname, with some relocating to neighboring regions like Saxony and Silesia.
Another prominent figure was Johann Christoph Gallitz (1735-1811), a German philosopher and educator who served as the rector of the University of Leipzig. His influential works on ethics and moral philosophy were widely studied throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.
The GALLITZ name also gained recognition in the field of military service. Karl Ludwig von Gallitz (1768-1843) was a Prussian general who fought in the Napoleonic Wars, earning several honors for his bravery and strategic leadership.
In the realm of literature, Gustav Gallitz (1855-1921) was a notable German novelist and playwright. His works, such as "Der Kampf ums Dasein" (The Struggle for Existence), explored themes of social commentary and the human condition.
Lastly, the GALLITZ surname has been associated with the historic town of Gailitz in Bavaria, which was once a center for textile production and trade. The town's coat of arms featured a golden eagle, symbolizing the region's economic prosperity and the GALLITZ family's connection to the area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gallitz
Among Census respondents with the surname Gallitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gallitz 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 Gallitz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 99
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gallitz
Gallitz 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+14 bearers (+13.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,871 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-18 bearers (-15.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 14,542 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.5%) | Up 4,871 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -18 bearers (-15.3%) | Down 14,542 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 Gallitz 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 | #141,140 | #155,682 | -10.3% |
| Count | 118 | 100 | -15.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gallitz bearers went from 118 to 100 (-15.3% change). The surname moved down 14,542 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #155,682.
FAQ
Gallitz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gallitz?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Gallitz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Gallitz?
Gallitz ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Gallitz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Gallitz.
Has Gallitz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gallitz went from 118 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 18 (-15.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Gallitz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gallitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Gallitz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gallitz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Gallitz (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 Gallitz mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "from Gallitz," a town in Germany. 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 Gallitz (0.03 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 are called Gallitz?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Gallitz is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.