Gallup
An uncommon surname that may be a shortened or altered form of a German name linked by early writers to Gottlieb, meaning “God’s love” or “God’s praise.”
The #8,205 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 76,309 Americans shares it.
Etymology
A 19th-century source explains Gallup as a corruption of the German personal name Gottlieb, built from Gott, “God,” and a second element meaning “love” or “praise.” That makes the name’s underlying sense something like “God’s love” or “God’s praise.” Because this explanation comes from older scholarship and later evidence is thin in the excerpts provided, it should be treated as plausible rather than certain.
History
The surname is well established in the United States, especially through families using the spelling Gallup. The historical excerpts here do not give a fuller migration story, but the name was already being treated as a recognized surname in 19th-century American reference works. A notable modern bearer is the polling organization Gallup, founded by George Gallup, which helped make the surname widely familiar.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname became especially familiar in the 20th century through George Gallup and the opinion-polling company that bears his name.
From the historical record
“GALLIGAN. (Gaelic.) From Gealagan, white. GALLUP. (Ger.) A corruption of Gottlieb, from Qott, God, and tieb, love or praise — God's praise. GALTorGUALT. A bush, of hair. Welsh, GwaUt. GAINNES. Gaelic, Gainne, a dart, an arrow, a shaft; given because of expertness in the use of these weapons of war. GANESVOORT.…”
— An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names