2000
#15,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,689
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.63
Rare Last name
Gallop
An English surname derived from the word "gallop" and likely referred to a messenger, courier, or someone with fleet feet.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,787 Americans carry the last name Gallop. That puts it at #17,699 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 191,804 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gallop 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Gallop with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.8K
1 in 191,804
Census rank
#17,699
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,558 bearers of the surname Gallop in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17699th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gallop, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.8%. The next largest groups are Black (24.8%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gallop
The surname Gallop is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "gealop," which means "to run or canter like a horse." This surname was likely given to someone who was known for their swift running or riding abilities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gallop surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a person named William Gallop is mentioned. Other early records include the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1240, which lists a Hugo Galop, and the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, which mentions a Richard Galop.
In the 14th century, the Gallop surname appeared in various forms, such as Galop, Galopp, and Gallup. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time. The surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Essex, Gloucestershire, and Huntingdonshire.
One notable figure with the Gallop surname was Sir Thomas Gallop, a member of the English gentry who lived in the late 15th century. He was a landowner in Streatley, Berkshire, and his family's coat of arms featured three horses' heads, symbolizing their association with horses and riding.
In the 16th century, the Gallop surname can be found in records such as the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1524, which mentions a John Gallop. During this time, the name also appeared in various place names, such as Gallop's Green in Essex and Gallop's Hill in Gloucestershire.
Another prominent figure with the Gallop surname was John Gallop (c. 1590-1675), a English settler in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He is known for being one of the founders of the town of Taunton, Massachusetts, and served as a representative in the colonial government.
Other notable individuals with the Gallop surname include:
1. Richard Gallop (1670-1703), an English pirate active in the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean.
2. John Gallop (1815-1899), an English-born Australian artist and naturalist.
3. Edward Gallop (1858-1947), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire.
4. Jane Gallop (born 1952), an American literary critic and feminist theorist.
The Gallop surname continues to be found throughout English-speaking countries, with concentrations in the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia, reflecting the migration patterns of individuals with this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gallop
Among Census respondents with the surname Gallop, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.8%. The next largest groups are Black (24.8%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Gallop 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 Gallop surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.8% · 1,057
- Black or African American24.8% · 386
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 54
- Two or more races3.0% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gallop
Gallop 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
#16,295
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,770
+81 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Down 470 places
2020
#17,699
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,558
-212 bearers (-12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.52
Rank movement Down 1,404 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,825 | 1,689 | 0.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,295 | 1,770 | 0.60 | +81 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 470 places |
| 2020 | #17,699 | 1,558 | 0.52 | -212 bearers (-12.0%) | Down 1,404 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 Gallop 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 | #16,295 | #17,699 | -8.6% |
| Count | 1,770 | 1,558 | -12.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.60 | 0.52 | -13.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gallop bearers went from 1,770 to 1,558 (-12.0% change). The surname moved down 1,404 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,295 to #17,699.
FAQ
Gallop surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gallop?
Name Census estimates that about 1,787 living Americans carry the surname Gallop. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 191,804 residents.
How common is Gallop?
Gallop ranks #17,699 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.52 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 1,558 people with the surname Gallop. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,787), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.52 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 Gallop.
Has Gallop become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gallop went from 1,770 recorded bearers to 1,558. That is a decrease of 212 (-12.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #16,295 to #17,699.
What does the Census say about the background of Gallop?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gallop, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.8%. The next largest groups are Black (24.8%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Gallop in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.8% (1,057 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gallop appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.8%), Black (24.8%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Gallop (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 Gallop mean?
An English surname derived from the word "gallop" and likely referred to a messenger, courier, or someone with fleet feet. 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 Gallop (0.52 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 common is the surname Gallop?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Gallop on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.