2010
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Gallun
A surname derived from the German word "gallun" meaning "gallon" or "wine measure".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 170 Americans carry the last name Gallun. That puts it at #122,574 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,016,202 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gallun 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
170
1 in 2,016,202
Census rank
#122,574
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
148
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 148 bearers of the surname Gallun in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 122574th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gallun, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gallun
The surname GALLUN is of German origin, originating in the region of Saxony in the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old High German word "galm," meaning "loud noise" or "clang," suggesting that the name may have referred to a noisy occupation such as a blacksmith or bell ringer.
The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 14th century, with a reference to a "Johannes Gallun" in a local church registry from the town of Görlitz, situated near the modern-day border between Germany and Poland. This region was historically part of the Electorate of Saxony and was a center of metalworking and mining activities, lending credence to the theory of the name's occupational origins.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in the records of the Landgraviate of Hesse, with a "Hans Gallun" mentioned as a resident of the town of Marburg in 1532. This area was known for its thriving trade guilds, and it is possible that the Gallun family was involved in metalworking or a related craft.
One notable bearer of the GALLUN name was Johann Christoph Gallun (1637-1707), a Lutheran theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Jena. His writings on metaphysics and natural philosophy were influential in the intellectual circles of his time.
Another historically significant individual was Friedrich Gallun (1825-1904), a Prussian military officer and writer. He served in the Prussian army during the Austro-Prussian War and the Franco-Prussian War, and later wrote several books on military tactics and strategy.
In the 19th century, the name GALLUN also found its way to the United States through German immigration. One notable American bearer of the name was William Gallun (1858-1921), a businessman and philanthropist from Pennsylvania. He founded the Gallun Knitting Company and was active in various charitable organizations in his community.
Another American of note was Charles Gallun (1890-1962), a science fiction author and screenwriter. Born in New York City, he published several short stories and novellas in the pulp magazines of the early 20th century, contributing to the golden age of science fiction.
Throughout its history, the surname GALLUN has been associated with various occupations, from metalworkers and theologians to military officers and writers, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those who carried this name across generations and geographical boundaries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gallun
Among Census respondents with the surname Gallun, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Gallun 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 Gallun surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 137
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 7
- Two or more races2.0% · 3
- Black or African American0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gallun
Gallun appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#122,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 148
+8 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 490 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #122,574 | 148 | 0.05 | +8 bearers (+5.7%) | Up 490 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 Gallun 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 | #123,064 | #122,574 | 0.4% |
| Count | 140 | 148 | 5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | -1.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gallun bearers went from 140 to 148 (+5.7% change). The surname moved up 490 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #122,574.
FAQ
Gallun surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gallun?
Name Census estimates that about 170 living Americans carry the surname Gallun. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,016,202 residents.
How common is Gallun?
Gallun ranks #122,574 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 148 people with the surname Gallun. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (170), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Gallun.
Has Gallun become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gallun went from 140 recorded bearers to 148. That is an increase of 8 (+5.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #123,064 to #122,574.
What does the Census say about the background of Gallun?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gallun, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Gallun in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (137 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gallun appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (4.7%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Gallun (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 Gallun mean?
A surname derived from the German word "gallun" meaning "gallon" or "wine measure". 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 Gallun (0.05 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 Gallun?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Gallun on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.