indicate the level to which a name has been verified.Type Surname (from given name & from nickname)
Usage Italian, Portuguese, French, Spanish, Jewish
Pronounced Pron. gə-LAHN-tay(Italian) /ɡa.ˈlan.te/(Italian, Spanish) /ɡɐ.ˈlɐ̃.tɨ/(Portuguese) [key·simplify]
Meaning & History
Means "gallant, courteous, chivalrous; romantic" in Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese, both derived from French galant "gentlemanly" or "flirtatious, amorous". In the case of Mordecai Galante, a Spanish exile in 16th century Rome, his courteous manners won for him from the Roman nobles the surname Galantuomo, meaning "gentleman" in Italian, from which Galante was eventually derived.This is also the name of an era of classical music, between the Baroque and Classical periods.