NameCensus.

UK surname

Gallen

A surname derived from the Irish Gaelic word "gall" meaning a stranger or foreigner.

In the 1881 census there were 47 people recorded with the Gallen surname, ranking it #27,019 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 335, ranked #13,611, up from #27,019 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ealing, Newlands and North Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gallen is 367 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 612.8%.

1881 census count

47

Ranked #27,019

Modern count

335

2016, ranked #13,611

Peak year

2010

367 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gallen had 47 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,019 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 335 in 2016, ranked #13,611.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 79 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Gallen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gallen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gallen 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 70 #21,020
1861 historical 79 #23,702
1881 historical 47 #27,019
1891 historical 68 #28,300
1901 historical 62 #27,252
1911 historical 24 #30,800
1997 modern 329 #12,734
1998 modern 332 #12,990
1999 modern 335 #12,993
2000 modern 323 #13,268
2001 modern 316 #13,258
2002 modern 327 #13,217
2003 modern 333 #12,875
2004 modern 335 #12,870
2005 modern 340 #12,642
2006 modern 326 #13,128
2007 modern 330 #13,142
2008 modern 343 #12,899
2009 modern 349 #12,995
2010 modern 367 #12,775
2011 modern 357 #12,915
2012 modern 341 #13,217
2013 modern 359 #12,917
2014 modern 356 #13,098
2015 modern 338 #13,527
2016 modern 335 #13,611

Geography

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Where Gallens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ealing, Newlands, North Lincolnshire, Harthill and Salsburgh and Paisley Gallowhill and Hillington. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ealing 024 Ealing
2 Newlands Glasgow City
3 North Lincolnshire 021 North Lincolnshire
4 Harthill and Salsburgh North Lanarkshire
5 Paisley Gallowhill and Hillington Renfrewshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gallen

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gallen

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gallen, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Gallen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Gallen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gallen 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

Gallen is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gallen falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gallen 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Gallen

The surname Gallen has its origins in the medieval German territories, where it emerged as an occupational name for a basket maker or weaver. The name is derived from the Middle High German word 'gallen', meaning 'basket' or 'woven container'.

This surname first appeared in historical records in the 13th century, with references to individuals bearing the name in various regions of what is now modern-day Germany. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in the Würzburg Municipal Archives, which mentions a certain Johann Gallen in 1268.

As the Gallen family spread across Central Europe over the centuries, the name underwent several spelling variations, including Galen, Gahlen, and Gallin. These variants were often influenced by local dialects and scribal preferences.

In the 16th century, the Gallen surname was well-established in the German states, with notable bearers including the merchant and philanthropist Hans Gallen (1510-1582) from Augsburg, who funded the construction of a hospital and orphanage in his hometown.

The name also found its way to other parts of Europe through migration and trade. One of the earliest recorded instances of the Gallen name in Britain is that of Peter Gallen, a German-born merchant who settled in London in the late 17th century.

Other notable individuals with the Gallen surname include the German painter Johann Gallen (1595-1647), known for his religious works and portraits, and the Swiss military officer and cartographer Johann Georg Gallen (1736-1804), who served in the French Revolutionary Wars.

In the 19th century, the Gallen name gained prominence in the United States, with immigrants from German-speaking regions bringing the name to the New World. One such individual was Johann Gallen (1824-1901), a Bavarian-born farmer who settled in Wisconsin and became a respected figure in the local German-American community.

Throughout its history, the Gallen surname has been associated with various professions and walks of life, from artisans and merchants to artists and military figures. While its roots can be traced back to medieval Germany, the name has since spread across the globe, carried by generations of individuals who have contributed to the rich tapestry of human experience.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gallen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gallen 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. Northumberland leads with 13 Gallens recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.06x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 13 19.06x
Durham 9 6.60x
Devon 7 7.34x
Cheshire 5 4.94x
Aberdeenshire 3 7.07x
Lancashire 3 0.55x
Surrey 2 0.90x
Hampshire 1 1.06x
Kent 1 0.64x
Lanarkshire 1 0.67x
Middlesex 1 0.22x
Shropshire 1 2.53x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bishopwearmouth in Durham leads with 8 Gallens recorded in 1881 and an index of 68.32x.

Place Total Index
Bishopwearmouth 8 68.32x
Wallington Demesne 7 23333.33x
Chirton 6 389.61x
Lapford 6 6666.67x
Birkenhead 3 37.17x
Oldham 3 17.08x
Auchterless 2 588.24x
Barony 1 2.67x
Blacon Cum Crabwall 1 2500.00x
Camberwell 1 3.42x
Exeter Alphington 1 588.24x
Islington London 1 2.25x
King Edward 1 204.08x
Rochester St Margaret 1 60.61x
Shrewsbury St Chad 1 71.94x
Southampton St Mary 1 16.92x
Southwark St Saviour 1 42.37x
Stranton 1 21.79x
Tranmere 1 26.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 6
George 3
James 2
Robert 2
Ambrose 1
Andrew 1
Pelter 1
Thomas 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Gallen households.

FAQ

Gallen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gallen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 47 people were recorded with the Gallen surname. That placed it at #27,019 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gallen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 335 in 2016. That gives Gallen a modern rank of #13,611.

What does the Gallen surname mean?

A surname derived from the Irish Gaelic word "gall" meaning a stranger or foreigner.

What does the Gallen map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Gallen 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.