NameCensus.

UK surname

Galbraith

From the Gaelic "Gall Bhreathnach," meaning a foreigner or stranger from Britain, likely a Welshman or Strathclyder.

In the 1881 census there were 2,740 people recorded with the Galbraith surname, ranking it #1,629 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,824, ranked #1,770, down from #1,629 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barra and South Uist, Kintyre Trail and Campbeltown.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Galbraith is 3,838 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.6%.

1881 census count

2,740

Ranked #1,629

Modern count

3,824

2016, ranked #1,770

Peak year

2010

3,838 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Galbraith had 2,740 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,629 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,824 in 2016, ranked #1,770.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,345 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Galbraith surname distribution map

The map shows where the Galbraith surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Galbraith surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Galbraith over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,663 #1,729
1861 historical 1,858 #1,560
1881 historical 2,740 #1,629
1891 historical 3,035 #1,550
1901 historical 3,345 #1,668
1911 historical 766 #5,656
1997 modern 3,644 #1,779
1998 modern 3,725 #1,810
1999 modern 3,727 #1,822
2000 modern 3,733 #1,808
2001 modern 3,601 #1,831
2002 modern 3,712 #1,823
2003 modern 3,611 #1,833
2004 modern 3,631 #1,824
2005 modern 3,643 #1,789
2006 modern 3,658 #1,784
2007 modern 3,721 #1,770
2008 modern 3,719 #1,782
2009 modern 3,788 #1,798
2010 modern 3,838 #1,810
2011 modern 3,782 #1,818
2012 modern 3,705 #1,819
2013 modern 3,743 #1,835
2014 modern 3,833 #1,797
2015 modern 3,829 #1,774
2016 modern 3,824 #1,770

Geography

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Where Galbraiths are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, London parishes, Edinburgh, Greenock and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barra and South Uist, Kintyre Trail, Campbeltown, Dunoon and Greenock West and Central. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barra and South Uist Na h-Eileanan Siar
2 Kintyre Trail Argyll and Bute
3 Campbeltown Argyll and Bute
4 Dunoon Argyll and Bute
5 Greenock West and Central Inverclyde

Forenames

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First names often paired with Galbraith

These lists show first names that appear often with the Galbraith surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Galbraith

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Galbraith, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Galbraith surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Galbraith household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Galbraith is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Galbraith is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Galbraith falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Galbraith is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Galbraith, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Galbraith

The surname Galbraith is of Scottish origin, originating from the Gaelic words "gall" meaning "stranger" or "foreigner" and "bhreathnach" meaning "British" or "Briton". It is believed to have emerged in the 12th century in the Scottish Lowlands.

The name Galbraith is closely linked to the ancient Scottish clan of the same name, which held lands in the counties of Dunbartonshire, Stirlingshire, and Lanarkshire. The name is first recorded in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish nobility swearing allegiance to King Edward I of England.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Maurice de Galbraith, who is mentioned in a charter from the reign of King Alexander II of Scotland (1198-1249). Another early record is of William de Galbrath, who witnessed a charter in 1292.

The Galbraiths played a significant role in Scottish history, particularly during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Sir Maurice Galbraith was a prominent supporter of Robert the Bruce and fought alongside him at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

Notable individuals with the surname Galbraith include:

1. John Galbraith (1794-1860), a Scottish-American pioneer and founder of the city of Galbraith, Ohio. 2. John Kenneth Galbraith (1908-2006), a renowned Canadian-American economist and author, best known for his works on economics and public policy. 3. Robert Galbraith (1965-), the pen name of British author J.K. Rowling for her crime fiction series featuring the detective Cormoran Strike. 4. Alastair Galbraith (1944-), a Scottish former professional football player and manager. 5. Vivian Hunter Galbraith (1889-1976), an English historian and paleographer, known for his work on medieval manuscripts.

The name Galbraith has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Galbraith's Lands in Ayrshire and Galbraith's Croft in Stirlingshire, reflecting the historical presence of the clan in these regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Galbraith families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Galbraith surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 773 Galbraiths recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.95x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 773 8.95x
Argyllshire 350 47.06x
Renfrewshire 333 16.08x
Ayrshire 150 7.50x
Midlothian 121 3.38x
Dunbartonshire 116 16.16x
Stirlingshire 108 10.96x
Lancashire 91 0.29x
Middlesex 74 0.28x
Berwickshire 67 20.71x
Northumberland 60 1.51x
Surrey 56 0.43x
Inverness-shire 50 6.27x
East Lothian 42 11.87x
Yorkshire 34 0.13x
Durham 31 0.39x
Angus 29 1.17x
Perthshire 27 2.25x
Wigtownshire 23 6.48x
Devon 22 0.40x
Roxburghshire 21 4.34x
Hampshire 17 0.31x
Buteshire 16 9.88x
Selkirkshire 16 6.62x
West Lothian 14 3.48x
Kent 13 0.14x
Shropshire 9 0.39x
Fife 8 0.51x
Cheshire 7 0.12x
Aberdeenshire 6 0.24x
Leicestershire 6 0.20x
Shetland 6 2.20x
Somerset 6 0.14x
Oxfordshire 5 0.30x
Gloucestershire 4 0.08x
Isle of Man 4 0.81x
Hertfordshire 3 0.16x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 0.78x
Dorset 2 0.11x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.34x
Ross-shire 2 0.27x
Staffordshire 2 0.02x
Berkshire 1 0.05x
Caithness 1 0.27x
Cornwall 1 0.03x
Cumberland 1 0.04x
Denbighshire 1 0.10x
Kincardineshire 1 0.31x
Morayshire 1 0.24x
Sussex 1 0.02x
Warwickshire 1 0.01x
Westmorland 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 265 Galbraiths recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.40x.

Place Total Index
Govan 265 12.40x
Barony 213 9.74x
Glasgow 166 10.82x
Campbeltown 130 144.90x
West Greenock 68 18.30x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 59 4.10x
Bonhill 54 46.85x
Abbey 50 15.83x
East Greenock 45 23.01x
Falkirk 42 18.21x
Knapdale South 41 160.47x
Barra 40 200.80x
Kilcalmonell 28 166.27x
Eastwood 26 20.39x
Gigha Cara 24 683.76x
Paisley High Church 23 13.95x
Saddell Skipness 23 217.19x
Kilmarnock 22 9.24x
Newton On Ayr 22 36.73x
Stirling 22 17.71x
Kilcalmonell Kilberry 21 498.81x
Hamilton 20 8.30x
Islington London 20 0.77x
Kilmaronock 20 235.02x
Old Monkland 19 5.54x
Dundee 18 1.95x
Port Glasgow 18 17.98x
Maryhill 17 10.05x
Toxteth Park 17 1.58x
Rotherhithe 16 4.85x
Blantyre 15 16.67x
Camberwell 15 0.88x
Dumbarton 15 15.01x
Kilmalcolm 15 60.46x
Neilston 15 14.43x
South Leith 15 3.72x
Ardrossan 14 20.23x
Clerkenwell London 14 2.22x
Mearns 14 38.60x
Stoke Damerel 14 3.60x
Cambusnethan 13 6.77x
Cathcart 13 11.60x
Kilbarchan 13 20.67x
Killean Kilchenzie 13 102.85x
Liverpool 13 0.68x
Maybole 13 21.35x
Paisley Low Church 13 19.83x
Barrow In Furness 12 2.78x
Bromley London 12 2.04x
Lauder 12 67.11x
Row 12 12.92x
Strathblane 12 97.56x
Auckinleck 11 17.77x
Boness 11 19.83x
Coldingham 11 37.83x
Coylton 11 38.77x
Shettleston 11 14.22x
Straiton 11 96.75x
Westoe 11 2.44x
Eccles 10 70.52x
Channelkirk 9 162.16x
Dunoon Kilmun 9 15.52x
Galashiels 9 10.07x
Hume 9 242.59x
Legerwood 9 176.47x
Byker 8 4.07x
Chatton 8 65.57x
Dunbar 8 16.12x
Edgmond 8 31.48x
Errol 8 36.00x
Kincardine 8 64.72x
Lambeth 8 0.34x
Liff Benvie 8 2.13x
Mid Calder 8 51.58x
Moss Side 8 4.80x
Openshaw 8 5.39x
Rothesay 8 10.20x
Shotts 8 7.74x
Southcoates 8 5.44x
Whalley 8 17.31x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Galbraith surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Galbraith surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 49
William 23
James 18
Thomas 16
George 13
Robert 9
Frederick 7
Joseph 6
Richard 5
Samuel 5
Arthur 4
Charles 4
David 4
Peter 4
Christopher 3
Donald 3
Henry 3
Walter 3
Adam 2
Adolphus 2
Albert 2
Alexander 2
Angus 2
Augustus 2
Colin 2
Edward 2
Edwin 2
Hugh 2
Saml. 2
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Archd. 1
Archibald 1
Archibold 1
Bernard 1
Earnest 1
Evan 1
Francis 1
Fredk. 1
Gerald 1
Harold 1
Jas. 1
Joshua 1
Julius 1
Lawrence 1
Lionel 1
Neil 1
Stanley 1
Willie 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Galbraith surname: questions and answers

How common was the Galbraith surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,740 people were recorded with the Galbraith surname. That placed it at #1,629 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Galbraith surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,824 in 2016. That gives Galbraith a modern rank of #1,770.

What does the Galbraith surname mean?

From the Gaelic "Gall Bhreathnach," meaning a foreigner or stranger from Britain, likely a Welshman or Strathclyder.

What does the Galbraith map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Galbraith bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.