Explore the Family Name Galle
The meaning of Galle
1. German: variant of Gall, or a nickname for an evil person, from Middle High German galle ‘bile, bitterness, falsehood’. 2. Flemish: from the personal name Galle, a Romance or French form of ancient Germanic Wal(l)o ‘man from Wallonia’. 3. French: nickname for a cheerful lively person, a bon vivant, from Old French gal(l)e ‘rejoicing, pleasure, entertainment’. Compare 4 below. 4. French (Gallé): nickname related to 3 above, from the past participle of the Old French verb gal(l)er ‘to enjoy oneself, to have fun’. 5. Danish and Swedish: perhaps from an old byname Galle, believed to derive from Old Danish and Old Swedish galle ‘fault, defect’. 6. Americanized or Germanized form of Slovenian Gale. Some characteristic forenames: French Andre, Amie, Colette, Yves.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Galle in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Galle has significantly increased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Galle ranked 14,236 in terms of popularity, but by 2010 it had climbed up the ranks to position 12,101, representing a 15% increase. The count of individuals bearing this name also rose from 1,934 in 2000 to 2,575 in 2010, marking a substantial growth by 33.14%. As per every 100k people, the proportion named Galle grew by approximately 20.83%, moving from 0.72 in 2000 to 0.87 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,236 | #12,101 | 15% |
| Count | 1,934 | 2,575 | 33.14% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.72 | 0.87 | 20.83% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Galle
Examining the ethnicity breakdown of those with the surname Galle, the Decennial U.S. Census data suggests some shifts over the same decade. While the majority of individuals identified as White (91.21% in 2000 and 87.30% in 2010), there was a small decline in this group by 4.29%. There were increases in the Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic populations, with the former growing from no recorded individuals in 2000 to 3.18% in 2010, and the latter rising from 3.10% to 4.62%. The Black population saw a slight growth of 6.65%, while the number of people identifying as two or more races remained relatively stable (1.14% to 1.13%). Finally, data for American Indian and Alaskan Native individuals was suppressed in 2000, but they made up 0.23% of the Galle surname bearers in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 91.21% | 87.3% | -4.29% |
| Hispanic | 3.1% | 4.62% | 49.03% |
| Black | 3.31% | 3.53% | 6.65% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 3.18% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 1.14% | 1.13% | -0.88% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.23% | 0% |