2000
#951
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,773
First available Census row
Per 100,000 12.52
Uncommon Last name
Galloway
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from the region of Galloway in southwest Scotland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 38,541 Americans carry the last name Galloway. That puts it at #1,020 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 11.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,893 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Galloway 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 Galloway with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
39K
1 in 8,893
Census rank
#1,020
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
11.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
34K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 33,610 bearers of the surname Galloway in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 11.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1020th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Galloway, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.1%. The next largest groups are Black (23.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Galloway
The surname Galloway has its origins in the region of Galloway in southwestern Scotland. It is derived from the Brittonic term "Gallovid" or "Gallwyddel," which translates to "non-Welsh stranger" or "foreign Gael." This suggests that the name was initially used to refer to individuals of Gaelic origin living in the area.
Galloway was an important region in medieval Scotland, with its own lords and a distinct cultural identity. The name Galloway first appears in historical records in the 12th century, when it was used to refer to the people and the territory of Galloway. One notable early reference is in the Chronicon Cumbriense, a 12th-century chronicle that mentions the "Galweienses" or people of Galloway.
The earliest recorded individual with the surname Galloway is William de Galloway, who lived in the 13th century and held lands in Galloway. Another prominent figure was Alan de Galloway, who was the Lord of Galloway in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. He was a powerful nobleman and played a significant role in Scottish politics during the reigns of King William the Lion and King Alexander II.
In the 14th century, the surname appears in various forms, including Galoway, Galluway, and Gallua. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Sir James Galloway, a Scottish knight who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence alongside Robert the Bruce.
The surname Galloway has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Galloway Forest Park, Galloway Hills, and the town of Galloway in Ayrshire. These place names likely contributed to the spread and popularity of the surname throughout Scotland.
Other notable individuals with the surname Galloway include:
1. Joseph Galloway (1730-1803), a prominent American politician and loyalist during the American Revolutionary War.
2. Archibald Galloway (1796-1850), a Scottish engineer and inventor who developed the first commercially successful hot air engine.
3. Thomas Galloway (1796-1851), a Scottish mathematician and educator who taught at the University of Edinburgh.
4. Mary Galloway (1858-1924), an American educator and suffragist who advocated for women's rights and education.
5. George Galloway (born 1954), a British politician and former member of parliament known for his outspoken views on foreign policy and his involvement in the anti-war movement.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Galloway
Among Census respondents with the surname Galloway, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.1%. The next largest groups are Black (23.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Galloway 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 Galloway surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.1% · 22,557
- Black or African American23.5% · 7,891
- Two or more races4.4% · 1,470
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 1,277
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 233
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 182
Timeline
Historical Census data for Galloway
Galloway 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
#1,002
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 34,909
+1,136 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 11.83
Rank movement Down 51 places
2020
#1,020
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 33,610
-1,299 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 11.24
Rank movement Down 18 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #951 | 33,773 | 12.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,002 | 34,909 | 11.83 | +1,136 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 51 places |
| 2020 | #1,020 | 33,610 | 11.24 | -1,299 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 18 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 Galloway 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 | #1,002 | #1,020 | -1.8% |
| Count | 34,909 | 33,610 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 11.83 | 11.24 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Galloway bearers went from 34,909 to 33,610 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 18 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,002 to #1,020.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Galloway
FAQ
Galloway surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Galloway?
Name Census estimates that about 38,541 living Americans carry the surname Galloway. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,893 residents.
How common is Galloway?
Galloway ranks #1,020 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 11.24 per 100,000 residents, which is about 11 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 33,610 people with the surname Galloway. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (38,541), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 11.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 11.24 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 11 of them to have the surname Galloway.
Has Galloway become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Galloway went from 34,909 recorded bearers to 33,610. That is a decrease of 1,299 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,002 to #1,020.
What does the Census say about the background of Galloway?
Among Census respondents with the surname Galloway, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.1%. The next largest groups are Black (23.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Galloway in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.1% (22,557 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Galloway appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.1%), Black (23.5%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Galloway (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 Galloway mean?
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from the region of Galloway in southwest Scotland. 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 Galloway (11.24 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 Galloway?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.