2010
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gellineau
A French locational surname referring to someone from Gelleneau, France.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Gellineau. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gellineau 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Gellineau in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gellineau, the largest self-reported group is Black at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gellineau
The surname Gellineau originates from the French region of Picardy, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "geline," meaning "hen" or "chicken," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to a profession or occupation related to poultry farming or trade.
One of the earliest recorded references to the Gellineau name can be found in the parish records of the town of Amiens, Picardy, in the late 1500s. These records include entries for individuals with the surname spelled as "Gellineau" or variations such as "Gelineau" or "Gellinau."
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Gellineau name began to spread across France and other parts of Europe. Notable individuals bearing this surname include Jacques Gellineau (1604-1678), a renowned French painter and engraver from Paris, known for his religious artwork and portraits of notable figures of the time.
In the 19th century, the Gellineau family established a presence in the French colonies of the Caribbean. Pierre Gellineau (1815-1891), a plantation owner and merchant from Martinique, became a prominent figure in the local community and played a role in the island's economic affairs.
Another individual of note is Émile Gellineau (1859-1923), a French neurologist and psychiatrist who made significant contributions to the study of neurodegenerative disorders. He is particularly known for his work on a condition he termed "Gellineau's syndrome," a form of narcolepsy.
The Gellineau surname can also be found in historical records from other European countries, such as Belgium and Switzerland, where it may have been introduced through migration or trade connections with France.
Overall, the Gellineau surname has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its roots firmly planted in the French region of Picardy and a connection to the poultry trade or farming in its early origins. From artists and plantation owners to medical pioneers, individuals bearing this name have left their mark across various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gellineau
Among Census respondents with the surname Gellineau, the largest self-reported group is Black at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gellineau 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 Gellineau surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American81.4% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino8.5% · 10
- Two or more races5.9% · 7
- White3.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gellineau
Gellineau 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
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-5 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,062 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 7,062 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 Gellineau 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 | #136,449 | #143,511 | -5.2% |
| Count | 123 | 118 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gellineau bearers went from 123 to 118 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 7,062 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #143,511.
FAQ
Gellineau surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gellineau?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Gellineau. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Gellineau?
Gellineau ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Gellineau. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Gellineau.
Has Gellineau become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gellineau went from 123 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Gellineau?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gellineau, the largest self-reported group is Black at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and Two or More Races (5.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gellineau in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.4% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gellineau appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (81.4%), Hispanic (8.5%), Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Gellineau (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 Gellineau mean?
A French locational surname referring to someone from Gelleneau, France. 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 Gellineau (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 Gellineau?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.