NameCensus.

UK surname

Galt

A surname derived from the Old Norse word meaning "stranger" or "wanderer".

In the 1881 census there were 678 people recorded with the Galt surname, ranking it #5,310 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 566, ranked #9,075, down from #5,310 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Grange, Howard and Gargieston, Wealden and Walsall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Galt is 704 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 16.5%.

1881 census count

678

Ranked #5,310

Modern count

566

2016, ranked #9,075

Peak year

1901

704 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Galt had 678 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,310 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 566 in 2016, ranked #9,075.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 704 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Galt surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Galt surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Galt 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 511 #4,895
1861 historical 524 #5,005
1881 historical 678 #5,310
1891 historical 662 #5,873
1901 historical 704 #6,257
1911 historical 179 #16,023
1997 modern 537 #8,823
1998 modern 555 #8,866
1999 modern 553 #8,945
2000 modern 513 #9,441
2001 modern 512 #9,288
2002 modern 532 #9,216
2003 modern 537 #8,997
2004 modern 517 #9,288
2005 modern 519 #9,200
2006 modern 503 #9,451
2007 modern 511 #9,422
2008 modern 521 #9,342
2009 modern 534 #9,377
2010 modern 544 #9,430
2011 modern 549 #9,281
2012 modern 532 #9,421
2013 modern 570 #9,058
2014 modern 577 #9,047
2015 modern 563 #9,130
2016 modern 566 #9,075

Geography

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Where Galts are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Grange, Howard and Gargieston, Wealden, Walsall, Greenock Town Centre and East Central and Daventry. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Edinburgh Edinburgh
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 Kilmarnock Ayr
5 Paisley Abbey Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Grange, Howard and Gargieston East Ayrshire
2 Wealden 017 Wealden
3 Walsall 033 Walsall
4 Greenock Town Centre and East Central Inverclyde
5 Daventry 003 Daventry

Forenames

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First names often paired with Galt

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Galt

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

Galt 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

Galt falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Galt 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 Galt, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Galt

The surname Galt is of Scottish origin, deriving from the Gaelic word 'gall', which means 'stranger' or 'foreigner'. It is believed to have originated in the counties of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire in the medieval period, where it was likely used to refer to settlers from other parts of Scotland or from England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Galt can be found in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of documents from the late 13th century that recorded the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. In these rolls, the name appears as 'de Galt', suggesting that it may have initially been a place name before becoming a surname.

In the 16th century, the Galt surname is associated with the town of Galston in East Ayrshire. Records from this time show that the lands of Galtoun (later Galston) were owned by a family bearing the name Galt. This connection to a specific place may have contributed to the consolidation of the surname in its current spelling.

One notable early bearer of the Galt surname was John Galt, a Scottish novelist and colonizer born in 1779. He is credited with founding the town of Guelph in Upper Canada (now Ontario) in 1827, and his novels, such as 'The Annals of the Parish' and 'The Provost', depict life in early 19th century Scotland.

Another famous Galt was Sir Alexander Tilloch Galt, a Canadian politician and Father of Confederation, born in 1817. He played a crucial role in the creation of the Dominion of Canada and served as the first Finance Minister of the country.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded Galts was Reverend John Galt, a Scottish minister who settled in Virginia in the late 17th century. His descendants went on to become prominent figures in various fields, including politics and business.

Other notable individuals with the surname Galt include Sir Thomas Galt, a British merchant and politician in the early 19th century, and Samuel Galt, a Scottish-American businessman and entrepreneur who founded the Galt & Whitehall Company in the 19th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Galt families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Galt 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. Ayrshire leads with 194 Galts recorded in 1881 and an index of 39.14x.

County Total Index
Ayrshire 194 39.14x
Lanarkshire 126 5.88x
Renfrewshire 86 16.75x
Lancashire 36 0.46x
Stirlingshire 26 10.64x
Midlothian 25 2.82x
Durham 22 1.12x
Banffshire 20 14.56x
Hampshire 17 1.25x
Aberdeenshire 14 2.28x
Angus 14 2.28x
Berkshire 14 2.82x
Middlesex 10 0.15x
Morayshire 9 8.75x
Yorkshire 9 0.14x
Cheshire 7 0.48x
Warwickshire 6 0.36x
Devon 5 0.36x
Oxfordshire 5 1.22x
Roxburghshire 5 4.17x
Gloucestershire 4 0.31x
Kent 3 0.13x
Somerset 3 0.28x
Wigtownshire 3 3.41x
Buteshire 2 4.98x
Royal Navy 2 2.53x
Staffordshire 2 0.09x
Wiltshire 2 0.34x
Argyllshire 1 0.54x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.56x
East Lothian 1 1.14x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 1.04x
Lincolnshire 1 0.09x
Perthshire 1 0.34x
Surrey 1 0.03x
Sussex 1 0.09x

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 68 Galts recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.84x.

Place Total Index
Govan 68 12.84x
Kilmarnock 33 55.93x
Barony 27 4.98x
Campsie 26 193.89x
Irvine 24 174.29x
Stewarton 23 234.45x
Beith 18 121.70x
Glasgow 15 3.94x
Kilbirnie 15 126.05x
Cathcart 14 50.41x
Dalry 14 60.03x
Barrow In Furness 12 11.23x
Hamilton 12 20.09x
Ardrossan 11 64.10x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 11 3.08x
Gamrie 11 71.71x
Neilston 11 42.69x
Paisley High Church 11 26.91x
Colmonell 10 200.80x
East Greenock 10 20.63x
Straiton 10 354.61x
West Greenock 10 10.85x
West Kilbride 10 211.86x
Dundee 9 3.93x
Paisley Middle Church 9 30.12x
Portsea 9 3.38x
Ayr 8 34.19x
Ellon 8 94.79x
Liverpool 8 1.68x
Paddington London 8 3.28x
Aldermaston 7 573.77x
Middle Greenock 7 49.96x
New Spynie 7 189.19x
Tarbolton 7 85.78x
Aberlour 6 137.61x
Bishopwearmouth 6 3.55x
Leamington Priors 6 14.60x
Monquhitter 6 94.49x
North Leith 6 14.61x
St Helens 6 60.79x
Abbey 5 6.38x
Exeter St Sidwell 5 15.83x
Monkwearmouth 5 26.51x
Newton On Ayr 5 33.67x
Reading St Mary 5 12.56x
St Boswells 5 229.36x
Thornley 5 70.13x
Westoe 5 4.48x
Bristol St James St Paul 4 9.24x
Edinburgh Old Church 4 56.18x
Higher Booths 4 28.23x
Holy Trinity 4 2.53x
Tranmere 4 7.44x
West Derby 4 1.74x
Bowling 3 4.61x
Lochee 3 54.84x
Port Glasgow 3 12.09x
Rusholme 3 14.31x
Taunton St Mary 3 15.33x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 1.60x
Cliffe 2 39.22x
Cookham 2 12.90x
Edinburgh Canongate 2 8.86x
Kirkcowan 2 67.57x
Liff Benvie 2 2.15x
Oxford St Thomas 2 10.48x
Paisley Low Church 2 12.31x
Renfrew 2 11.80x
Rothesay 2 10.29x
Sale 2 11.15x
South Leith 2 2.00x
Wolstanton 2 2.95x
Woodstock 2 77.82x
Wylye 2 178.57x
Gateshead 1 0.68x
Lancing 1 32.57x
Ramsgate 1 2.71x
Silsden 1 51.55x
Symington 1 62.89x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 9
George 8
James 8
Alexander 6
Thomas 6
William 6
Walter 3
Abram 1
Albert 1
Andrew 1
Archibald 1
C. 1
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Ed.W. 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
H.E. 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Horace 1
Matthew 1
Reginald 1
Robert 1
Robt.Hy. 1
Sharp 1
Stanley 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Galt surname: questions and answers

How common was the Galt surname in 1881?

In 1881, 678 people were recorded with the Galt surname. That placed it at #5,310 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Galt surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 566 in 2016. That gives Galt a modern rank of #9,075.

What does the Galt surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old Norse word meaning "stranger" or "wanderer".

What does the Galt map show?

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