Glavin last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Glavin

An Irish surname derived from an Old Gaelic word meaning "small brook."

Glavin, 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 Glavin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Glavin in America

Glavin is the 20480th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Glavin surname appeared 1,296 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 Glavin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Glavin 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 20480 19196 6.47%
Count 1,296 1,308 -0.92%
Proportion per 100k 0.44 0.48 -8.70%

The history of the last name Glavin

The surname Glavin has its origins in Ireland, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic word "glaimhín," which means "little glutton" or "greedy person." This nickname likely referred to an individual with a hearty appetite or fondness for food, a trait that became associated with the family line over time.

The earliest recorded instances of the Glavin surname can be found in ancient Irish genealogical records and church manuscripts from the 16th and 17th centuries. These documents often mention individuals bearing the name, particularly in counties such as Cork, Kerry, and Limerick, where the name was prevalent.

One notable historical figure bearing the Glavin surname was Seán Glavin, a prominent Irish Catholic priest and scholar who lived in the late 16th century. He was renowned for his expertise in canon law and served as the Vicar General of the Diocese of Cork and Cloyne.

In the 18th century, a man named Patrick Glavin gained recognition for his role in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. He was a member of the United Irishmen, a revolutionary republican organization that sought to overthrow British rule in Ireland. Glavin was captured and imprisoned for his involvement in the uprising.

Another prominent figure was Michael Glavin, a 19th-century Irish lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the Cork City constituency from 1874 to 1880. He was a staunch advocate for Irish Home Rule and played a significant role in the Irish nationalist movement of the time.

In the realm of literature, the name Glavin is associated with John Glavin, an Irish-American author and academic born in 1935. He is best known for his novels and short stories that explore themes of Irish-American identity and the immigrant experience.

The Glavin surname has also been linked to several place names in Ireland, such as Glavinmore and Glavinabhy, which are townlands located in County Cork. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, indicating areas where individuals bearing the Glavin name once resided or held land.

While the Glavin surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Irish immigration to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. However, the name remains closely tied to its Irish heritage and the rich history of the Gaelic culture from which it originated.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Glavin

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

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 Glavin was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 96.53% 1,251
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.69% 9
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.39% 18
Hispanic Origin 0.85% 11

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 Glavin has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 96.53% 97.32% -0.82%
Black 0.69% 0.76% -9.66%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.38% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.39% 1.15% 18.90%
Hispanic 0.85% 0.38% 76.42%

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

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

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"Glavin last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/glavin-surname-popularity/.

"Glavin last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/glavin-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Glavin last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/glavin-surname-popularity/.

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