This very rare Huguenot name is a French anglicized variant of the original Florentine "Galgini or Galigai" or the Spanish "Gallego" and is a habitational nickname, surname for somebody from the former Duchy of "Galicia". Oddly enough, the origin is not unsimilar to the word "Gaelic" or "Galles", both of which means "the Foreigner", the Prince of Wales being known in France as "Le Prince de Galles". The name recording in Britain in any variant is very rare, the present spellings not appearing before 1860. The name recordings include Charles Galigue (1821), St. Lukes, London and Eliza Galeeige (1837) also St. Lukes, London who was christened on the 28th of July of that year. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Amelif Galiegues, which was dated 1795, christened at Threadneedle Street Chapel, London, during the reign of King George III, "Farmer George", 1760 - 1820. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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