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

Gavin, 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 Gavin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gavin in America

Gavin is the 2569th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gavin surname appeared 14,061 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Gavin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gavin 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 Gavin

The surname GAVIN originates from the ancient Scottish Gaelic personal name Gawain or Gavin, derived from the Welsh name Gawain or Gwalchmei. The name itself is thought to mean "hawk of battle" or "battle prince" in ancient Celtic languages. The earliest known records of the surname date back to the 12th century in the Scottish Lowlands and Borders region.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname GAVIN was Sir Gavin of Glammis, a Scottish knight who lived in the late 14th century. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Robert III of Scotland. Another notable early GAVIN was Gavin Douglas, a Scottish bishop and poet who lived from around 1474 to 1522. He is best known for his translation of Virgil's Aeneid into early Scots vernacular.

In the 16th century, the GAVIN surname was found in various parishes and records across Scotland, with variations in spelling such as Gawane, Gavine, and Gawain. One notable figure from this time was Gavin Hamilton, a Scottish painter and archaeologist who lived from 1723 to 1798. He is renowned for his neoclassical paintings and his excavations in Italy.

The GAVIN surname also has a long history in Ireland, where it is believed to have been introduced by Scottish settlers during the Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century. One famous Irish GAVIN was Gavin Higgins, a prominent lawyer and politician who lived from 1890 to 1965. He served as Attorney General of Ireland and Chief Justice of the Irish Free State.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the GAVIN surname spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond, with individuals bearing the name found in England, Wales, and various British colonies. One notable GAVIN from this era was Gavin Milroy, a Scottish physician and writer who lived from 1805 to 1886. He is known for his works on the medical treatment of mental disorders.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gavin

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

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

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

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