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

Galves, 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 Galves surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Galves in America

Galves is the 45804th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Galves surname appeared 466 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 Galves.

We can also compare 2010 data for Galves 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 Galves

The surname Galves has its origins in Spain, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Spanish word "galga," which refers to a type of slender, swift hunting dog. This connection suggests that the name may have originally been associated with individuals involved in hunting or the breeding of hunting dogs.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Galves can be found in the Catalan region of Spain, where it was documented in the 13th century. During this time, the name was sometimes spelled as "Galves" or "Galvez," reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.

In the 15th century, the name Galves appeared in various historical documents, including tax records and property deeds from the regions of Catalonia and Valencia. This suggests that families bearing this surname were established in these areas and held a certain level of social and economic standing.

Notably, the name Galves has been associated with several prominent individuals throughout history. One such figure was Juan Galves, a Spanish military commander who served under King Ferdinand II of Aragon in the late 15th century. Galves played a crucial role in the conquest of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain, and was renowned for his strategic prowess on the battlefield.

Another notable bearer of the Galves surname was María Galves, a 16th-century writer and poet from Valencia. Her works, which explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition, were highly regarded during her lifetime and contributed to the literary culture of the Renaissance period in Spain.

In the 17th century, the name Galves gained recognition through the exploits of Diego Galves, a Spanish explorer and navigator who participated in several voyages to the Americas. His detailed accounts and maps of the coastal regions he explored were instrumental in expanding Spain's knowledge of the New World at the time.

During the 18th century, the Galves surname was associated with the Spanish colonization of the Americas. One prominent figure was Miguel Galves, a Spanish military officer who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 1768 to 1776. His efforts in fortifying the island's defenses and improving its infrastructure left a lasting impact on the colony's development.

Fast forward to the 19th century, and the name Galves gained further prominence through the achievements of Emilia Galves, a renowned Spanish painter and portraitist. Born in Valencia in 1825, Galves's exquisite portraits of the aristocracy and high society earned her critical acclaim and numerous commissions from influential patrons across Europe.

Throughout its history, the surname Galves has maintained a strong connection to its Spanish roots, with various branches of the family tree extending across different regions of the country and eventually to other parts of the world through migration and exploration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Galves

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!