Explore the Family Name Gall
The meaning of Gall
1. Scottish, Welsh, and Irish: nickname from Celtic gall ‘foreigner, stranger’, a word found in Irish, Gaelic, and Breton. In the Scottish Highlands the Gaelic term gall was applied to people from the English-speaking lowlands and to Scandinavians; in Ireland the same term was applied to settlers who arrived from Wales and England in the wake of the Anglo-Norman invasion of the 12th century. This surname is also found at an early date in Lincolnshire, where it apparently has a Breton origin (compare 4 below and Legall), having been introduced by Breton followers of the Norman Conquerors. 2. English (of Norman origin): variant of Gale. 3. French, German, Danish, Polish, and Czech; Slovak (mainly Gáll); Hungarian (Gáll): from the Latin personal name Gallus, originally a Roman surname meaning ‘Gaul’ or ‘rooster’ (see Gallo 2). The name was widespread in Europe during the Middle Ages, in Central Europe largelly due to the cult of a 7th-century Irish monk and missionary, Saint Gall, whose name, Latinized as Gallus, is presumably of Celtic origin (see 1 above). Among other things, Saint Gall established a Christian settlement to the south of Lake Constance, which became the monastery later known as St. Gallen. The Latin(ized) name Gallus was taken into Czech as Havel, into Polish as Gaweł (see Gawel), into Slovak and Hungarian as Gál (see Gal), and into Slovenian and Croatian as Gal. 4. Breton (mainly Finistère; mainly Le Gall): cognate of 1 above; see Legall. It may, however, also be a cognate of 3 above, especially when not formed with the French masculine definite article le.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Gall in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Gall ranked 3,568 in terms of popularity in 2000 and slipped slightly to rank 3,681 in 2010, indicating a decrease of 3.17 percent. However, the overall count of people carrying the surname increased by 5.71 percent from 9,136 in 2000 to 9,658 in 2010. The proportion per 100,000 people dropped marginally from 3.39 in 2000 to 3.27 in 2010, a decrease of 3.54 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,568 | #3,681 | -3.17% |
| Count | 9,136 | 9,658 | 5.71% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.39 | 3.27 | -3.54% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gall
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the name Gall, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows shifts in percentages over the decade. In 2000, the largest portion identified as White, accounting for 93.51 percent, which decreased to 90.39 percent in 2010. Those identifying as Hispanic rose from 1.71 percent in 2000 to 3.31 percent in 2010. Identification as Asian/Pacific Islander saw a significant increase of 241.54 percent, going from 0.65 percent in 2000 to 2.22 percent in 2010. Meanwhile, identification as Black decreased from 2.78 percent to 2.23 percent. The smallest group, American Indian and Alaskan Native, saw an increase from 0.23 percent to 0.39 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.51% | 90.39% | -3.34% |
| Hispanic | 1.71% | 3.31% | 93.57% |
| Black | 2.78% | 2.23% | -19.78% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.65% | 2.22% | 241.54% |
| Two or More Races | 1.13% | 1.46% | 29.2% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.23% | 0.39% | 69.57% |
Gall ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Gall is French & German, which comprises 35.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (32.5%) and Eastern European (11.6%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Greek & Balkan.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 35.5% |
| British & Irish | 32.5% |
| Eastern European | 11.6% |
| Other | 20.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Gall
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Gall have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 70.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 70.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 70.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 70.00% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 70.00% |
What Gall haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Gall is R-P312, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P312 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L48 and E-V13, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Schmid, Sabo, Hofmann, Rudolph, Schmidt, Wolf, Otto, Richter, Bauer, Stoll.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Gall surname are: H1, H, V. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Gall have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Gall" Surname 50.7%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Gall" Surname 21.5%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Gall" Surname 26.1%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Gall" Surname 13.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Gall?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Gall are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition