Find out how popular the last name Galo is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Galo.

Galo, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Galo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Galo in America

Galo is the 17323rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Galo surname appeared 1,632 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Galo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Galo to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Galo

The surname GALO is believed to have originated in Spain, specifically in the region of Galicia. It is derived from the Latin word "gallus," which means "rooster" or "cock." The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 12th century in Galicia.

In medieval times, surnames were often derived from occupations, physical characteristics, or places of origin. The name GALO may have been given to someone who raised or traded in roosters, or it could have been a nickname referring to a person's strutting or cocky behavior.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname GALO was Pedro Galo, a nobleman from Pontevedra, Galicia, who lived in the late 12th century. He was mentioned in a document from the Monastery of Oia, which cited him as a witness to a land transaction.

Another notable individual with the surname GALO was Juan Galo, a merchant from Santiago de Compostela, who lived in the 15th century. He was involved in the lucrative trade of wool and textiles between Galicia and other parts of Spain.

In the 16th century, the surname GALO appeared in various records from the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One such individual was Diego Galo, a soldier and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés during the conquest of Mexico in the 1520s.

During the 17th century, the name GALO was found in several places throughout Spain. One notable bearer of the name was Alonso Galo, a poet and playwright from Seville who lived from 1628 to 1688. He was known for his satirical works and was a member of the prestigious Seville Academy of Letters.

In the 18th century, the surname GALO was also present in parts of Italy, possibly due to migration from Spain or other Spanish-speaking regions. One noteworthy individual was Giuseppe Galo, an Italian composer and violinist who lived from 1739 to 1806. He was renowned for his instrumental works and served as the court composer for the Duke of Tuscany.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the surname GALO throughout history. While the name may have evolved and spread to different regions over time, its origins can be traced back to the Galicia region of Spain and the Latin word "gallus."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Galo

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Galo.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Galo was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Galo has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Galo was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Galo, please contact us.

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