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Gal Family History

Gal Name Meaning

Hungarian Slovak and Czech (Gál); Polish (also Gał); Rusyn (in Slovakia also Gál in Poland also Gał); Slovenian and Croatian: from the personal name Hungarian Slovak and Czech Gál Polish Rusyn Slovenian and Croatian Gal from Latin Gallus (see Gall ) the name borne by a 7th-century Irish missionary who was very active in central Europe and is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. This personal name was widespread in Europe in the Middle Ages and it gave rise to many surnames e.g. Slovak Galko Galčík Galik Gall Gallik Galovič (see Galovic ) and Galus and Slovenian Gale . In North America the surname Gal could also be a shortening of some of them. Croatian and Slovenian: from the old personal name Gal from gal an obsolete word meaning ‘black’. Dutch: variant of Gaal French: nickname from southern French gal ‘rooster’ (Old French jal Latin gallus). French: from a vernacular form of the Latin personal name Gallus (see Gall ) the name of a 6th-century Christian saint bishop of Clermont; or a habitational name for someone from either of two places called Saint-Gal in Lozère and Puy-de-Dôme or from Saint-Jal in Corrèze. Compare Dugal . Jewish (Israeli): artificial name from Hebrew gal ‘wave’.

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


Similar surnames: Gale, Gall, Gay, Bal, Pal, Cal, Gaal, Gala, Gehl, Hall

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Where is the Gal family from?

You can see how Gal families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gal family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gal families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there was 1 Gal family living in Herefordshire. This was about 33% of all the recorded Gal's in United Kingdom. Herefordshire and 2 other counties had the highest population of Gal families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gal surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Gal ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Gal. 60% of Gal women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. .

View Census Data for Gal | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    60%
  • Domestic Servant
    40%
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What Gal family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Gal. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gal census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gal

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Gal. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Gal. For the veterans among your Gal ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Gal lifespan?

Between 1961 and 2004, in the United States, Gal life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 1974. The average life expectancy for Gal in 1961 was 49, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gal

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