Galvant History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland

Etymology of Galvant

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

Early Origins of the Galvant family

Early History of the Galvant family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Galvant 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 Galvant History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Galvant Spelling Variations

The archives that survive today demonstrate the difficulty experienced by the scribes of the Middle Ages in their attempts to record these names in writing. Spelling variations of the name Galvant dating from that time include Galvin, Gallivan, O'Galvin and others.

Early Notables of the Galvant family

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 were popular at London's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Galvant Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Galvant family

In the 18th and 19th centuries, thousands of Irish families fled an Ireland that was forcibly held through by England through its imperialistic policies. A large portion of these families crossed the Atlantic to the shores of North America. The fate of these families depended on when they immigrated and the political allegiances they showed after they arrived. Settlers that arrived before the American War of Independence may have moved north to Canada at the war's conclusion as United Empire Loyalists. Such Loyalists were granted land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula. Those that fought for the revolution occasionally gained the land that the fleeing Loyalist vacated. After this period, free land and an agrarian lifestyle were not so easy to come by in the East. So when seemingly innumerable Irish immigrants arrived during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s, free land for all was out of the question. These settlers were instead put to work building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. Whenever they came, Irish settlers made an inestimable contribution to the building of the New World. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the Irish name Galvant or a variant listed above, including: James, Joseph, Patrick, Simon, Thomas Galvin who arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860; David Galvin settled in Maryland in 1776; J. Galvin settled in Baltimore Maryland in 1822.