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

Galvin, 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 Galvin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Galvin in America

Galvin is the 3018th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Galvin surname appeared 11,882 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Galvin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Galvin 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 Galvin

The surname Galvin has its origins in Ireland, tracing back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic name "Ó Gallchobhair," which means "descendant of the foreign aid" or "foreign helper." This name was likely given to someone who provided assistance to foreigners or travelers.

The Galvin name is most closely associated with County Mayo in the west of Ireland. It is believed to have originated in the village of Ballycroy, which was once part of the ancient territory of the Ó Gallchobhair clan. The name was anglicized to Galvin over time, with various spellings such as Galwey, Galway, and Gallway appearing in early records.

One of the earliest documented references to the Galvin name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention a notable figure named Donnchadh Ó Gallchobhair, who was a leader of the clan in the 14th century.

In the 16th century, a Galvin family was recorded as landowners in Ballycroy, County Mayo. This branch of the family produced several prominent figures, including Pádraig Galvin, who was a member of the Irish Parliament in the late 17th century.

Another notable bearer of the Galvin name was John Galvin (1839-1916), an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Galvin Life Insurance Company in Chicago. He was also involved in the construction of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, a major engineering feat of the time.

In the world of sports, Pat Galvin (1892-1976) was a famous Irish hurler who played for the Limerick senior team in the early 20th century. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers of his era and was inducted into the GAA Museum's Hall of Fame.

The Galvin name has also been associated with the literary world. James Galvin (born 1951) is an American poet and novelist known for his works set in the American West, including the novel "The Meadow" and the poetry collection "Resurrection Update."

These are just a few examples of the rich history and notable figures associated with the Galvin surname, which has its roots firmly planted in the Irish county of Mayo and the ancient Ó Gallchobhair clan.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Galvin

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

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

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

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