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Gall Family History

Gall Name Meaning

Scottish Welsh and Irish: nickname from Celtic gall ‘foreigner stranger’ a word found in Irish Gaelic and Breton. In the Scottish Highlands the Gaelic term gall was applied to people from the English-speaking lowlands and to Scandinavians; in Ireland the same term was applied to settlers who arrived from Wales and England in the wake of the Anglo-Norman invasion of the 12th century. This surname is also found at an early date in Lincolnshire where it apparently has a Breton origin (compare 4 below and Legall ) having been introduced by Breton followers of the Norman Conquerors. English (of Norman origin): variant of Gale . French German Danish Polish and Czech; Slovak (mainly Gáll); Hungarian (Gáll): from the Latin personal name Gallus originally a Roman surname meaning ‘Gaul’ or ‘rooster’ (see Gallo ). The name was widespread in Europe during the Middle Ages in central Europe largelly due to the cult of a 7th-century Irish monk and missionary Saint Gall whose name Latinized as Gallus is presumably of Celtic origin (see 1 above). Among other things Saint Gall established a Christian settlement to the south of Lake Constance which became the monastery later known as St. Gallen. The Latin(ized) name Gallus was taken into Czech as Havel into Polish as Gaweł (see Gawel ) into Slovak and Hungarian as Gál (see Gal ) and into Slovenian and Croatian as Gal . Breton (mainly Finistère; mainly Le Gall): cognate of 1 above; see Legall . It may however also be a cognate of 3 above especially when not formed with the French masculine definite article le.

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


Similar surnames: Gal, Gale, Gill, Galla, Hall, Wall, Ball, Call, Galle, Goll

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Where is the Gall family from?

You can see how Gall families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gall family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gall families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 137 Gall families living in Ontario. This was about 44% of all the recorded Gall's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Gall families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gall surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Gall ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Gall. 46% of Gall men worked as a Farmer and 24% of Gall women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gall were Merchant and Farmer. .

View Census Data for Gall | 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
    46%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Agent
    6%
  • Merchant
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    24%
  • Teacher
    16%
  • Nurse
    16%
  • Farmer
    16%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Gall family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 76,000 census records available for the last name Gall. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gall census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 18,000 immigration records available for the last name Gall. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 13,000 military records available for the last name Gall. For the veterans among your Gall ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Gall lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Gall life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Gall in 1943 was 43, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gall

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