History of your Surname
Get access to Gale family records.Start a free trial

Gale Family History

Gale Name Meaning

English: nickname from Anglo-Norman French gal gale galle ‘cock cockerel’. English: habitational name from a minor place called with either Middle English gale gagel (Old English gagel) ‘bog myrtle’ or with Middle English gale ‘fishery paying dues to the lord’ (Old English gafol ‘tax’?) such as Gale in Bickington (Devon) and The Gale the name of a fishery in Ham and Stone (Gloucestershire). English: topographic name from Middle English gale gail (Old Norse geil) ‘ravine narrow lane’ or a habitational name from a place so named such as Gale in Littleborough Rochdale (Lancashire) or possibly High Gale in Tatham or Tunstall (Lancashire). With the sense ‘narrow lane’ it is found in several street names in medieval York. English: metonymic occupational name for a jailer or a topographic name for someone who lived near the local jail or a nickname for a jailbird occasionally perhaps for someone who worked ‘(at the) jail’ from Middle English gayole gayll(e) jaiole jaile (northern Old French gaiole Parisian Old French jaiole). Compare Galer . English (of Norman origin): perhaps occasionally from the Old French personal name Gale a Parisian form of ancient Germanic Walo (see Wale and compare Gallon ). However the only examples of it as a personal name in English records seem to belong to (presumably French) foreigners so it is uncertain whether this was another source of the Middle English surnames. Portuguese: from galé ‘galleon warship’ presumably a metonymic occupational name for a shipwright or a mariner.7: Slovenian and Croatian: from a pet form of the personal name Gal . Compare Galle and Gole .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Hale, Wale, Gal, Sale, Dale, Gade, Galle, Gage, Gall, Game

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Gale family from?

You can see how Gale families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gale family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gale families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 235 Gale families living in Ontario. This was about 36% of all the recorded Gale's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Gale families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gale surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Gale ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Income were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Gale. 40% of Gale men worked as a Farmer and 15% of Gale women worked as an Income. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gale were Clerk and Operator. .

View Census Data for Gale | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    40%
  • Laborer
    8%
  • Labourer
    6%
  • Clerk
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Income
    15%
  • Teacher
    15%
  • Servant
    10%
  • Operator
    10%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Gale family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 298,000 census records available for the last name Gale. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gale census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Gale

Passenger Lists

There are 27,000 immigration records available for the last name Gale. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Gale immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 32,000 military records available for the last name Gale. For the veterans among your Gale ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gale military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gale family history

Discover More

What is the average Gale lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Gale life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 1951. The average life expectancy for Gale in 1941 was 36, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gale

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Gale family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Gale last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial