NameCensus.

UK surname

Galloway

A Scottish toponymic surname derived from the region of Galloway in southwest Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 5,152 people recorded with the Galloway surname, ranking it #864 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,773, ranked #847, up from #864 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Machars South, Logie and Blackness and Kirkcaldy Linktown & Seafield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Galloway is 7,951 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 50.9%.

1881 census count

5,152

Ranked #864

Modern count

7,773

2016, ranked #847

Peak year

2010

7,951 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Galloway had 5,152 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #864 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,773 in 2016, ranked #847.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,558 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Galloway surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Galloway surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Galloway 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 3,375 #850
1861 historical 3,362 #849
1881 historical 5,152 #864
1891 historical 5,678 #830
1901 historical 6,558 #847
1911 historical 3,024 #1,724
1997 modern 7,458 #863
1998 modern 7,706 #873
1999 modern 7,707 #877
2000 modern 7,673 #876
2001 modern 7,481 #879
2002 modern 7,610 #883
2003 modern 7,425 #884
2004 modern 7,444 #880
2005 modern 7,400 #876
2006 modern 7,482 #868
2007 modern 7,529 #869
2008 modern 7,616 #864
2009 modern 7,749 #870
2010 modern 7,951 #867
2011 modern 7,773 #870
2012 modern 7,588 #876
2013 modern 7,688 #877
2014 modern 7,805 #866
2015 modern 7,755 #862
2016 modern 7,773 #847

Geography

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Where Galloways are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Machars South, Logie and Blackness, Kirkcaldy Linktown & Seafield, Maybole and Girvan Ailsa. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 3
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Machars South Dumfries and Galloway
2 Logie and Blackness Dundee City
3 Kirkcaldy Linktown & Seafield Fife
4 Maybole South Ayrshire
5 Girvan Ailsa South Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Galloway

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Galloway

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Galloway, 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 Galloway surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Galloway 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, Galloway 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

Galloway 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

Galloway 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 Galloway 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 Galloway, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Galloway

The surname Galloway has its origins in the region of Galloway in southwestern Scotland. It is derived from the Brittonic term "Gallovid" or "Gallwyddel," which translates to "non-Welsh stranger" or "foreign Gael." This suggests that the name was initially used to refer to individuals of Gaelic origin living in the area.

Galloway was an important region in medieval Scotland, with its own lords and a distinct cultural identity. The name Galloway first appears in historical records in the 12th century, when it was used to refer to the people and the territory of Galloway. One notable early reference is in the Chronicon Cumbriense, a 12th-century chronicle that mentions the "Galweienses" or people of Galloway.

The earliest recorded individual with the surname Galloway is William de Galloway, who lived in the 13th century and held lands in Galloway. Another prominent figure was Alan de Galloway, who was the Lord of Galloway in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. He was a powerful nobleman and played a significant role in Scottish politics during the reigns of King William the Lion and King Alexander II.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various forms, including Galoway, Galluway, and Gallua. One notable bearer of the name during this period was Sir James Galloway, a Scottish knight who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence alongside Robert the Bruce.

The surname Galloway has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Galloway Forest Park, Galloway Hills, and the town of Galloway in Ayrshire. These place names likely contributed to the spread and popularity of the surname throughout Scotland.

Other notable individuals with the surname Galloway include:

1. Joseph Galloway (1730-1803), a prominent American politician and loyalist during the American Revolutionary War. 2. Archibald Galloway (1796-1850), a Scottish engineer and inventor who developed the first commercially successful hot air engine. 3. Thomas Galloway (1796-1851), a Scottish mathematician and educator who taught at the University of Edinburgh. 4. Mary Galloway (1858-1924), an American educator and suffragist who advocated for women's rights and education. 5. George Galloway (born 1954), a British politician and former member of parliament known for his outspoken views on foreign policy and his involvement in the anti-war movement.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Galloway families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Galloway 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 676 Galloways recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.15x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 676 4.15x
Yorkshire 638 1.28x
Fife 461 15.48x
Lancashire 457 0.77x
Midlothian 317 4.70x
Middlesex 268 0.53x
Angus 223 4.78x
Ayrshire 206 5.47x
Perthshire 182 8.06x
Surrey 171 0.70x
Renfrewshire 161 4.13x
Stirlingshire 148 7.98x
Durham 143 0.96x
Dunbartonshire 106 7.84x
Wigtownshire 102 15.27x
Northumberland 85 1.14x
West Lothian 83 10.95x
Kent 65 0.38x
Cheshire 62 0.56x
Clackmannanshire 48 11.55x
Warwickshire 37 0.29x
Cumberland 36 0.83x
Staffordshire 35 0.21x
Kirkcudbrightshire 32 4.39x
Aberdeenshire 31 0.67x
Dumfriesshire 29 2.61x
Essex 27 0.27x
Argyllshire 21 1.50x
Sussex 20 0.24x
Glamorgan 19 0.22x
Roxburghshire 17 1.87x
Hertfordshire 16 0.46x
Leicestershire 15 0.27x
Norfolk 15 0.19x
Oxfordshire 15 0.48x
Gloucestershire 14 0.14x
East Lothian 13 1.95x
Devon 12 0.11x
Hampshire 12 0.12x
Isle of Man 12 1.28x
Cornwall 10 0.18x
Shropshire 10 0.23x
Herefordshire 9 0.44x
Caithness 8 1.16x
Inverness-shire 8 0.53x
Kincardineshire 8 1.31x
Kinross-shire 8 6.29x
Lincolnshire 7 0.09x
Somerset 7 0.09x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.09x
Shetland 6 1.17x
Selkirkshire 5 1.10x
Berkshire 4 0.11x
Pembrokeshire 4 0.25x
Royal Navy 4 0.67x
Bedfordshire 3 0.12x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.09x
Channel Islands 3 0.20x
Suffolk 3 0.05x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.07x
Derbyshire 2 0.03x
Morayshire 2 0.26x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.05x
Flintshire 1 0.07x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.10x
Northamptonshire 1 0.02x
Westmorland 1 0.09x
Worcestershire 1 0.02x

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 184 Galloways recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.57x.

Place Total Index
Govan 184 4.57x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 143 5.27x
Barony 138 3.35x
Dundee 128 7.36x
Glasgow 114 3.95x
Leeds 63 2.24x
Leslie 54 71.60x
Old Monkland 49 7.59x
Alyth 47 77.33x
St Ninians 46 25.01x
Wemyss 46 36.50x
Alloa 45 22.33x
Kirkcaldy 44 29.79x
Salford 42 2.39x
Lambeth 39 0.89x
Pudsey 39 14.63x
Dumbarton 38 20.19x
New Monkland 38 7.90x
St Pancras London 38 0.94x
West Greenock 37 5.29x
Horton In Bradford 36 4.62x
Dysart 35 17.45x
Hunslet 35 4.50x
Blackburn 34 2.14x
Camberwell 34 1.06x
Eccleshill 34 28.02x
Bothwell 33 7.48x
Markinch 33 32.63x
South Leith 33 4.35x
Gateshead 32 2.86x
Kirkmaiden 32 75.69x
Perth West Church 31 28.93x
Stirling 31 13.25x
Liff Benvie 30 4.24x
Cathcart 29 13.75x
Falkland 29 61.90x
Bowling 28 5.67x
Manchester 28 1.04x
Uphall 28 33.60x
Kilmarnock 27 6.02x
Liverpool 27 0.74x
Cupar 26 20.07x
North Leith 26 8.34x
Pittenweem 26 70.81x
Dunfermline 25 5.46x
Falkirk 25 5.75x
Perth East Church 25 11.74x
Islington London 24 0.49x
Chorlton On Medlock 23 2.42x
Toxteth Park 23 1.14x
Whitburn 23 21.01x
Colmonell 22 58.11x
Bathgate 21 12.77x
Kensington London 21 0.75x
Paddington London 21 1.14x
Battersea 20 1.08x
Bethnal Green London 20 0.92x
Hornsey 20 3.14x
Kirkdale 20 1.99x
Eastwood 19 7.91x
Scoonie 19 29.46x
Barnsley 18 3.50x
Birkenhead 18 2.03x
Newbattle 18 31.24x
Oldham 18 0.93x
Poplar London 18 1.90x
Stockton On Tees 18 2.49x
Bramley In Bramley 17 8.91x
Cambusnethan 17 4.70x
Cardross 17 10.47x
Girvan 17 17.99x
Row 17 9.72x
Southcoates 17 6.14x
Stranraer 17 27.82x
Armley 16 7.28x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 16 10.03x
Westgate 16 3.45x
Worsbrough 16 10.95x
Inveresk 15 8.22x
Linthorpe 15 5.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 158
Elizabeth 90
Sarah 71
Jane 53
Margaret 42
Ann 37
Hannah 36
Ellen 35
Annie 28
Alice 27
Emma 26
Martha 23
Agnes 19
Eliza 19
Louisa 19
Emily 18
Clara 16
Isabella 14
Edith 13
Florence 12
Maria 12
Janet 11
Kate 10
Lucy 10
Catherine 9
Charlotte 9
Harriet 9
Julia 9
Anne 8
Frances 8
Harriett 8
Jessie 8
Rebecca 8
Beatrice 7
Helen 7
Ada 6
Susan 6
Eleanor 5
Grace 5
Maud 5
Rose 5
Susannah 5
Amelia 4
Amy 4
Caroline 4
Fanny 4
Lydia 4
Margt. 4
Nellie 4
Sophia 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 155
James 117
William 114
George 70
Thomas 68
Joseph 42
Robert 40
Henry 37
Charles 28
Frederick 22
David 21
Alexander 20
Arthur 19
Walter 17
Edward 16
Samuel 16
Francis 15
Alfred 14
Albert 13
Richard 13
Frank 9
Peter 9
Herbert 8
Wm. 8
Andrew 7
Benjamin 7
Edwin 7
Harry 7
Isaac 7
Ernest 6
Matthew 6
Thos. 5
Archibald 4
Frances 4
Geo. 4
Fredk. 3
Fredrick 3
Jesse 3
Lewis 3
Patrick 3
Stephen 3
Timothy 3
Caleb 2
Christian 2
G. 2
Geo.H. 2
Jane 2
Jas. 2
Leonard 2
Percy 2

FAQ

Galloway surname: questions and answers

How common was the Galloway surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,152 people were recorded with the Galloway surname. That placed it at #864 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Galloway surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,773 in 2016. That gives Galloway a modern rank of #847.

What does the Galloway surname mean?

A Scottish toponymic surname derived from the region of Galloway in southwest Scotland.

What does the Galloway map show?

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