Show ContentsGalvez History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The mountainous borders of Spain contain the origins of the prestigious surname Galvez. The earliest forms of hereditary surnames in Spain were the patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. The surname Galvez is made up of two elements: "Gonzalo," a personal name thought to be derived from the Visigothic "Gundesaelf," meaning "battle elf," and "-ez," the Spanish patronymic suffix.

Early Origins of the Galvez family

The surname Galvez was first found in Castile, where the name originated in Visigothic times.

Early History of the Galvez family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Galvez research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1366, 1382, 1391, 1407, 1464, 1492, 1503, 1612 and 1674 are included under the topic Early Galvez History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Galvez Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: González, Gonzalez, Gundisalvez, Gonsalviz, Gonzálvez, Gonzalvez, Gonçalve, Gonzales, Gonzalo, Gozalo, Monsalve, Monsabre, Gosalviz, Gosalvez, Goçalez, Gunzáloz, Gunzaloz, Galbis, Gálvez and many more.

Early Notables of the Galvez family

Prominent among members of the family Francesco I Gonzaga (1366-1407), ruler of Mantua from 1382 to 1407, a condottiero, switched his allegiance to Venice (1391), also to protect his land from the increasing power of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, remembered as the builder of the Castle of San Giorgio, the nucleus of Ducal Palace of Mantua, the Gothic façade of the city cathedral, the bell tower of the Basilica of Sant'Andrea, as well as the Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Grazie at Curtatone; Clara Gonzaga, Countess of Montpensier, Dauphine of Auvergne, Duchess of Sessa (1464-1503) was an Italian noblewoman of the House...
Another 133 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Galvez Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Galvez Ranking

In the United States, the name Galvez is the 3,111st most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. [1] However, in France, the name Galvez is ranked the 5,124th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. [2]


United States Galvez migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Galvez Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Pedro De Galvez, who arrived in America in 1812 [3]
  • Jeronimo De Galvez, who landed in America in 1816 [3]
  • Francisco De Galvez, who arrived in America in 1817 [3]
  • Francisco Galvez, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1842 [3]
  • Diego Galvez, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1845 [3]

Contemporary Notables of the name Galvez (post 1700) +

  • Maria Teresa Galvez (b. 1959), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from District of Columbia, 2004, 2008 [4]
  • Simeon Galvez Toribio (1905-1969), Filipino high jumper who competed at the 1928, 1932 and 1936 Olympics, winning a bronze medal in 1932


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. 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)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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