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

Galván, 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 Galván surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Galván in America

Galván is the 630th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Galván surname appeared 53,822 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 18 people would have the surname Galván.

We can also compare 2010 data for Galván 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 Galván

The surname Galvan has its roots in Spain, where it originated as a Sephardic Jewish name. The name is derived from the Hebrew name Gal'van, which means "son of Van." The earliest recorded instances of this surname date back to the 12th century in the region of Aragon, Spain.

Galvan is believed to be a variant spelling of the more common Spanish surname Galván, which is thought to have originated from the Galician place name Galván or the Gallego word "galván," meaning "sparrow." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname or a descriptive name before becoming a hereditary surname.

One of the earliest known records of the name Galvan is found in the "Libro de Repartimiento de Málaga," a document from the 15th century that recorded the distribution of land and properties in the city of Málaga after the Reconquista. The document mentions several individuals with the surname Galvan, indicating that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.

Notable individuals with the surname Galvan include Juan Galván (1535-1592), a Spanish soldier and conquistador who participated in the conquest of the Philippines. Another prominent figure was Pedro Galván (1550-1624), a Spanish painter known for his religious works and portraits.

In the 16th century, the surname Galvan appeared in records from the Spanish colonies in the Americas, particularly in Mexico and the Southwestern United States. Diego Galván (1555-1617), a Spanish explorer and colonist, was one of the first to establish settlements in what is now New Mexico.

Other notable individuals with the surname Galvan include Matías Galván (1768-1832), a Mexican military officer and politician who played a role in the Mexican War of Independence, and Manuel Galván Rivero (1825-1899), a Spanish author and playwright known for his works on Andalusian culture and traditions.

While the surname Galvan is most commonly associated with Spain and its former colonies, it has also been found in other parts of the world, likely due to migration patterns and the spread of Sephardic Jewish communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the Iberian Peninsula and the rich cultural heritage of the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Galván

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

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 Galván 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 Galván 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 Galván was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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