Explore the Family Name Gallo
The meaning of Gallo
1. Italian and Spanish: nickname from gallo ‘rooster’ (from Latin gallus), given originally to a person with some of the attributes associated with a rooster, as for example a powerful voice or sexual prowess. 2. Italian: from the medieval personal name Gallo, from the Latin name Gallus, originally a Roman surname meaning ‘Gaul’ (see 3 below) or ‘rooster’ (see 1 above). 3. Italian: ethnic name, from Latin Gallus, for someone from France or Gaul (see Gallia). 4. Italian: habitational name from any of numerous places called Gallo, especially in southern Italy, as for example Gallo Matese in Caserta province. 5. French (southern): of Italian origin (see above). 6. Breton: variant of Le Gallo, a diminutive of Le Gall (see Legall), a nickname for a French-speaking person in Brittany. 7. American shortened form of Greek Gallos, a cognate of 3 above. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Angelo, Salvatore, Mario, Rocco, Antonio, Pasquale, Carmine, Luigi, Vito, Armando, Alfonso, Cono, Sal, Carlo, Domenic. Spanish Jose, Carlos, Pedro, Jorge, Luis, Julio, Raul, Fernando, Juan.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Gallo in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Gallo maintained its popularity rank at 1560 in both 2000 and 2010, indicating a stable frequency of use over the decade. The actual count of individuals with the surname Gallo, however, increased by about 9% from 21,149 in 2000 to 23,056 in 2010. Despite this growth in count, the proportion of the surname per 100,000 people slightly decreased by 0.26%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,560 | #1,560 | 0% |
| Count | 21,149 | 23,056 | 9.02% |
| Proportion per 100k | 7.84 | 7.82 | -0.26% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Gallo
Looking at the ethnic identity associated with the surname Gallo from the same Decennial U.S. Census data, there was an overall increase in diversity from 2000 to 2010. The largest ethnic group, White, decreased by about 7% over the decade from 80.15% to 74.48%. Meanwhile, the Hispanic population showed substantial growth, increasing by almost 30% to make up 22.02% of those with the Gallo surname in 2010. Smaller increases were also seen in the Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native populations, which together accounted for a little over 3% of the total in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 80.15% | 74.48% | -7.07% |
| Hispanic | 16.94% | 22.02% | 29.99% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1% | 1.42% | 42% |
| Two or More Races | 0.96% | 1.01% | 5.21% |
| Black | 0.85% | 0.95% | 11.76% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.11% | 0.12% | 9.09% |
Gallo 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 Gallo is Italian, which comprises 33.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (24.3%) and French & German (11.9%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Eastern European, Indigenous American, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Italian | 33.1% |
| British & Irish | 24.3% |
| French & German | 11.9% |
| Other | 30.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Gallo
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 Gallo have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Italy, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Sicily, Italy | 54.40% |
| Campania, Italy | 52.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 50.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 50.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 50.10% |
What Gallo 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 Gallo is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include J-Z631 and R-U152, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Albert, Costa, Miller, Wagner, Snyder, Vogel, Hartman, Simon, Fischer, Schneider.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Gallo surname are: A2, H1, H. 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 Gallo 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.
"Gallo" Surname 42.4%
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.
"Gallo" Surname 28.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Gallo" Surname 18.5%
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.
"Gallo" Surname 18.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Gallo?
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 Gallo are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition