2000
#2,870
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,499
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.26
Uncommon Last name
Galvin
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Gealbháin, meaning "descendant of Gealbhán," derived from the nickname meaning "little bright one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,262 Americans carry the last name Galvin. That puts it at #3,032 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,845 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Galvin surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Galvin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 25,845
Census rank
#3,032
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,565 bearers of the surname Galvin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3032nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Galvin, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and Black (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Galvin
Among Census respondents with the surname Galvin, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and Black (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Galvin bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Galvin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.3% · 9,401
- Hispanic or Latino9.9% · 1,149
- Black or African American4.4% · 514
- Two or more races2.9% · 339
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 105
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 57
Timeline
Historical Census data for Galvin
Galvin appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,882
+383 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 4.03
Rank movement Down 148 places
2020
#3,032
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,565
-317 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 3.87
Rank movement Down 14 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,870 | 11,499 | 4.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,018 | 11,882 | 4.03 | +383 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 148 places |
| 2020 | #3,032 | 11,565 | 3.87 | -317 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 14 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Galvin surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,018 | #3,032 | -0.5% |
| Count | 11,882 | 11,565 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 4.03 | 3.87 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Galvin bearers went from 11,882 to 11,565 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 14 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,018 to #3,032.
FAQ
Galvin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Galvin?
Name Census estimates that about 13,262 living Americans carry the surname Galvin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,845 residents.
How common is Galvin?
Galvin ranks #3,032 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.87 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,565 people with the surname Galvin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,262), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.87 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Galvin.
Has Galvin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Galvin went from 11,882 recorded bearers to 11,565. That is a decrease of 317 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,018 to #3,032.
What does the Census say about the background of Galvin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Galvin, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.9%) and Black (4.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Galvin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.3% (9,401 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Galvin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.3%), Hispanic (9.9%), Black (4.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Galvin (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Galvin mean?
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Gealbháin, meaning "descendant of Gealbhán," derived from the nickname meaning "little bright one." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Galvin (3.87 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Galvin?
Want to know how many people are called Galvin? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.