2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Garlejo
A Spanish surname derived from the word "gárlejo" meaning calf of the leg.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Garlejo. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Garlejo 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Garlejo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Garlejo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and White (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Garlejo
The surname Garlejo is believed to have originated in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in Spain. Its roots can be traced back to the medieval period, when surnames were derived from various sources, including occupations, physical characteristics, or geographic locations.
One possible origin of the name Garlejo is that it may have derived from the Spanish word "garlejo," which means "ruff" or "collar." This could suggest that the name was initially given to someone who wore a distinctive collar or ruff, perhaps as a mark of their profession or social status.
Another theory suggests that Garlejo may have originated from a place name, as many surnames were derived from the names of towns or villages where the bearer or their ancestors resided. In this case, the name could have been derived from a small village or hamlet, although the exact location remains uncertain.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Garlejo date back to the 15th century, when it appeared in various historical documents and manuscripts from Spain. One notable example is Juan Garlejo, a Spanish nobleman who lived in the late 15th century and was known for his involvement in local politics and governance.
In the 16th century, the name Garlejo gained more prominence, with several individuals bearing the surname appearing in various records. One such individual was Diego Garlejo (c. 1520-1585), a Spanish cleric and theologian who served as a professor at the University of Salamanca and was renowned for his contributions to religious studies.
Moving into the 17th century, the name Garlejo continued to be present in Spain, with individuals like Juana Garlejo (c. 1610-1675), a prominent landowner and philanthropist from Seville, leaving their mark on the historical record.
In the 18th century, the surname Garlejo spread beyond the borders of Spain, with individuals bearing the name appearing in various Spanish colonies in the Americas. One notable figure from this period was Francisco Garlejo (1720-1795), a Spanish military officer who served in the Spanish colonies and played a role in the defense of Spanish territories against foreign incursions.
During the 19th century, the surname Garlejo remained relatively uncommon, but there were still individuals who carried this name. One example is María Garlejo (1825-1892), a Spanish writer and poet who gained recognition for her literary works and contributions to the cultural landscape of Spain.
As the centuries progressed, the surname Garlejo continued to be present in various regions, reflecting the migration and dispersal of people bearing this name. While not as widely distributed as some other Spanish surnames, Garlejo has maintained a presence throughout history, leaving its mark on various aspects of Spanish and global culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Garlejo
Among Census respondents with the surname Garlejo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and White (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Garlejo 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 Garlejo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander86.1% · 99
- Two or more races5.2% · 6
- White4.3% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Garlejo
Garlejo 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
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+10 bearers (+9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,150 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.5%) | Up 9,150 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 Garlejo 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 | #154,907 | #145,757 | 5.9% |
| Count | 105 | 115 | 9.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Garlejo bearers went from 105 to 115 (+9.5% change). The surname moved up 9,150 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #145,757.
FAQ
Garlejo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Garlejo?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Garlejo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Garlejo?
Garlejo ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Garlejo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Garlejo.
Has Garlejo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Garlejo went from 105 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 10 (+9.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Garlejo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Garlejo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and White (4.3%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Garlejo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Garlejo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (86.1%), Two or More Races (5.2%), White (4.3%). 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 Garlejo (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 Garlejo mean?
A Spanish surname derived from the word "gárlejo" meaning calf of the leg. 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 Garlejo (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 Americans have the surname Garlejo?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.