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Gallant Family History

Gallant Surname Meaning

English (of Norman origin): from the Old French personal name Galand Galant from ancient Germanic Waland of uncertain origin but apparently not related to the source of Wayland.

English (East Anglia): nickname from Middle English gala(u)nt ‘merry; dashing spirited bold’ (Old French galant see Galland).

French (mainly northern): variant of Galland 1 (a cognate of 2 above) and in North America also an altered form of this.

Compare Galant.

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


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Where is the Gallant family from?

You can see how Gallant families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gallant family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gallant families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1891 there were 165 Gallant families living in Norfolk. This was about 32% of all the recorded Gallant's in United Kingdom. Norfolk had the highest population of Gallant families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gallant 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 Gallant ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Builders Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Gallant. 17% of Gallant men worked as a Builders Labourer and 72% of Gallant women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gallant were Milk Roundsman and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Gallant | 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 1939

  • Builders Labourer
    17%
  • General Labourer
    17%
  • Farm Labourer
    14%
  • Milk Roundsman
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Housewife
    5%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Domestic Servant
    4%

What Gallant family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 94,000 census records available for the last name Gallant. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gallant census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Gallant

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Gallant. 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.

View all Gallant immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 11,000 military records available for the last name Gallant. For the veterans among your Gallant ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gallant military records

You've only scratched the surface of Gallant family history

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What is the average Gallant lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Gallant life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1950, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Gallant in 1942 was 25, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Gallant

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Gallant ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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