Find out how popular the last name Gallivan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Gallivan.

Gallivan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Gallivan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gallivan in America

Gallivan is the 23315th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gallivan surname appeared 1,092 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gallivan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gallivan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Gallivan

The surname Gallivan has its origins in Ireland, specifically in the province of Munster. It is believed to have emerged in the 16th or 17th century from the Irish Gaelic name "O'Gallchobhair," which translates to "descendant of the foreign helper."

This name likely originated in the counties of Cork or Kerry, where the Gallivan clan was prominent. The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Fiants of the Reign of Elizabeth I, which mentions a "John O'Gallchover" in 1586.

In the 17th century, the name underwent several spelling variations, such as Gallchover, Gallchobar, and Gallchobeir, before settling on the more anglicized form of Gallivan. This change was a result of the gradual adoption of English language and customs in Ireland.

One notable figure from this period was Dermot Gallivan, a member of the Irish Confederate Catholic forces during the Irish Confederate Wars (1641–1653). He played a role in the defense of the town of Clonmel against the Parliamentarian forces led by Oliver Cromwell.

The 18th century saw the Gallivan family spread throughout Ireland, with several members achieving prominence. John Gallivan (1730-1804) was a noted Catholic clergyman and writer, known for his work "The Ancient Irish Histories." Another notable figure was Michael Gallivan (1770-1857), a successful merchant and philanthropist in Limerick.

In the 19th century, many Gallivans emigrated from Ireland, particularly during the Great Famine of the 1840s. One such individual was Patrick Gallivan (1810-1890), who settled in Boston, Massachusetts, and became a prominent businessman and political figure, serving as a state senator.

Another notable Gallivan was Thomas Gallivan (1842-1902), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada and as a judge in Ontario. He played a significant role in the establishment of the Canadian Criminal Code.

As the Gallivan family spread across the globe, the name continued to appear in various fields. One example is John Gallivan (1889-1949), an Australian rules footballer who played for the Carlton Football Club in the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gallivan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Gallivan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Gallivan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Gallivan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Gallivan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gallivan, please contact us.

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