Galloway Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Galloway last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Galloway last name
Meaning of the Galloway last name: from Galloway. Galloway is a Scottish surname for someone from Galloway in south-west Scotland. The region's name comes from Gaelic Gall-Ghaidheil, "foreign Gaels", for the mixed Norse and Gaelic people who settled there in the Viking age. The last name was taken by people who left the region. A curious detail of this surname origin: Galloway also gave its name to a hardy breed of black cattle.
Arms associated with the Galloway name
Scottish heraldry favours bold figures such as lions, stars and hands, and coats of arms associated with the Galloway surname follow that strong, clear style.
Get your full Galloway family history
This is only a glimpse of the Galloway story. The full Galloway history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Galloway coat of arms. Get the full Galloway report.
Galloway name FAQ
What does the Galloway name mean?
From Galloway. Common variants include Gallaway, Gallowey.
Where does the Galloway surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, England and Northern Ireland.
Is there a Galloway coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Galloway coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).