2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Galovic
A surname of South Slavic origin, possibly derived from a toponymic or occupational root.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Galovic. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Galovic 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Galovic in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Galovic, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Galovic
The surname Galovic originated in Croatia, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Croatian word "galeb," meaning "seagull." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near the coast or worked as a fisherman.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Galovic can be found in a 1587 church registry from the town of Zadar, where a man named Ivan Galovic was recorded as a witness at a baptism. Another early mention of the name appears in a 1612 land deed from the village of Kukljica on the island of Ugljan, which refers to a landowner named Mate Galovic.
In the 17th century, the Galovic surname began to spread beyond the Croatian coastal regions. Records show individuals with this name living in inland areas such as the towns of Knin and Drniš. This suggests that as the population grew and families migrated, the name became more widely dispersed throughout the country.
One notable bearer of the Galovic surname was Juraj Galovic, a Croatian military officer who served in the Venetian army during the 17th century. He was born in 1638 in the village of Posedarje and gained recognition for his bravery in battles against the Ottoman Empire.
Another historical figure with the Galovic surname was Ante Galovic, a priest and scholar who lived in the 18th century. Born in 1712 in the town of Šibenik, he was known for his extensive knowledge of classical languages and his contributions to the study of Croatian history and literature.
In the 19th century, the name Galovic continued to be associated with various professions and social classes. Marko Galovic, born in 1824 in the village of Prezid, was a prominent merchant and landowner, while Ivan Galovic, born in 1868 in the town of Omiš, was a respected teacher and educational reformer.
Throughout its history, the Galovic surname has maintained a strong presence in Croatia, with various branches of the family scattered across different regions and leaving their mark on the country's cultural and historical landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Galovic
Among Census respondents with the surname Galovic, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Galovic 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 Galovic surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0% · 114
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 4
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Galovic
Galovic 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
#127,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
+13 bearers (+10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 2,125 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-14 bearers (-10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,555 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #127,494 | 134 | 0.05 | +13 bearers (+10.7%) | Up 2,125 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.4%) | Down 14,555 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 Galovic 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 | #127,494 | #142,049 | -11.4% |
| Count | 134 | 120 | -10.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Galovic bearers went from 134 to 120 (-10.4% change). The surname moved down 14,555 positions in the national ranking, going from #127,494 to #142,049.
FAQ
Galovic surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Galovic?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Galovic. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Galovic?
Galovic ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 120 people with the surname Galovic. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Galovic.
Has Galovic become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Galovic went from 134 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 14 (-10.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #127,494 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Galovic?
Among Census respondents with the surname Galovic, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Galovic in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Galovic appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.0%), Hispanic (3.3%), Black (0.8%). 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 Galovic (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 Galovic mean?
A surname of South Slavic origin, possibly derived from a toponymic or occupational root. 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 Galovic (0.04 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 have the last name Galovic?
Want to know how many people are called Galovic? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.