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

McGarvin, 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 McGarvin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McGarvin in America

McGarvin is the 132206th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McGarvin surname appeared 128 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 McGarvin.

We can also compare 2010 data for McGarvin 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 McGarvin

The surname McGarvin has its origins in Ireland, where it first emerged in the 11th century. It is a variant spelling of the Gaelic name "Mac Gairbhith," which means "son of Gairbhith." Gairbhith is derived from the Gaelic words "garbh" meaning "rough" or "rugged," and "fith" meaning "warrior" or "soldier."

In the early medieval period, the McGarvin clan was concentrated in County Tyrone, located in the northern province of Ulster. They were originally a branch of the larger O'Neill dynasty, one of the most powerful and influential families in Irish history. The McGarvins played a role in the many wars and conflicts that took place between the various Irish clans and the English monarchs who sought to conquer and colonize Ireland.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the McGarvin name can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In an entry from 1195, a man named Ruaidhri Mac Gairbhith is mentioned as being involved in a battle against the Anglo-Norman forces of John de Courcy.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the McGarvins were among the many Irish families who lost their lands and were forcibly displaced as a result of the Plantation of Ulster, a policy of colonization and settlement carried out by the English Crown. Some McGarvins remained in Ireland, while others fled to other parts of Europe or the Americas to escape persecution and seek new opportunities.

Notable individuals with the surname McGarvin throughout history include:

1. Brian McGarvin (c. 1550-1620), a chieftain of the McGarvin clan who led his people in resistance against the English during the Nine Years' War (1594-1603).

2. Eoin McGarvin (c. 1620-1690), a priest and scholar who wrote extensively on Irish history and culture during the tumultuous period of the Confederate Wars and the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.

3. Siobhan McGarvin (1745-1825), a renowned Irish harpist and composer who helped preserve traditional Irish music during the era of the Penal Laws, which suppressed Catholic culture and education.

4. Patrick McGarvin (1801-1877), an Irish immigrant to the United States who served as a Union Army officer during the American Civil War and later became a prominent businessman and philanthropist in New York City.

5. Maeve McGarvin (1920-2002), an Irish novelist and short story writer whose works often explored themes of identity, exile, and the complexities of Irish history and society in the 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McGarvin

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

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

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

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