Galvan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Irish surnames have had their original forms altered in many ways. Before being translated into English, Galvan appeared as Ó Gealbhain, derived from the words "geal," which means "bright," and "ban," which means "white." 1

Early Origins of the Galvan family

The surname Galvan was first found in County Clare (Irish: An Clár) located on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they are a sept of Thomond. 2

More recently, the family is very numerous in Kerry where it is more often spelt Gallivan. 2

Early History of the Galvan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Galvan research. Another 46 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1317, 1826, 1831, 1860, 1864, 1888, 1891 and 1904 are included under the topic Early Galvan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Galvan Spelling Variations

Because early scribes and church officials often spelled names as they sounded, a person could have many various spellings of his name.Many different spelling variations of the surname Galvan were found in the archives researched. These included Galvin, Gallivan, O'Galvin and others.

Early Notables of the Galvan family

Prominent amongst the family at this time was Dan Leno (1860-1904) stage name of George Wild Galvin, the famous English comedian. He was a leading English music hall comedian and musical theatre actor, best known for his music hall act and for his roles in the annual pantomimes that...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Galvan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Galvan Ranking

In the United States, the name Galvan is the 1,035^th most popular surname with an estimated 29,844 people with that name. 3

Galvan migration to the United States +

A massive wave of Irish immigrants hit North America during the 19th century. Although many early Irish immigrants made a carefully planned decision to leave left Ireland for the promise of free land, by the 1840s immigrants were fleeing a famine stricken land in desperation. The condition of Ireland during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s can be attributed to a rapidly expanding population and English imperial policies. Those Irish families that arrived in North America were essential to its rapid social, industrial, and economic development. Passenger and immigration lists have revealed a number of early Irish immigrants bearing the name Galvan:

Galvan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Diego Galvan, who arrived in America in 1812 4
Richard Galvan, who landed in New York in 1823 4
Rodrigo Galvan, who arrived in Cartagena in 1835 4
Roque Galvan, who landed in Rio de la Plata in 1835 4
Manuel Galvan, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1865 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Galvan Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Daniel Galvan, aged 36, who landed in America from Cork, in 1903
Ellie Galvan, aged 20, who landed in America from Kilworth, in 1903
Eleanor A. Galvan, aged 0, who immigrated to America, in 1914

Contemporary Notables of the name Galvan (post 1700) +

Lorenzo R. Galvan, American politician, Workers World Candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1980 5
Jorge Galván (b. 1966), Mexican writer and engineer
Anna Galvan (b. 1978), retired New Zealand netball player
Matteo Galvan (b. 1988), Italian sprinter
José David Galván Martinez (b. 1973), Mexican long-distance runner
Diego Alberto Galván (b. 1982), Argentine footballer

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html