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Galvin Family History

Galvin Surname Meaning

Irish (Munster): shortened Anglicized form of Ó Gealbháin ‘descendant of Gealbhán’ a personal name from geal ‘bright’ + bán ‘white’.

French: variant of Gauvain.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Galvin family from?

You can see how Galvin families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Galvin family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Galvin families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 167 Galvin families living in Ontario. This was about 69% of all the recorded Galvin's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Galvin families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Galvin surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Galvin ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and School Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Galvin. 35% of Galvin men worked as a Farmer and 30% of Galvin women worked as a School Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Galvin were Cultivateur and Servante.

View Census Data for Galvin | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    35%
  • Labourer
    10%
  • Salesman
    8%
  • Cultivateur
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • School Teacher
    30%
  • Stenographer
    30%
  • Housekeeper
    18%
  • Servante
    12%

What Galvin family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 98,000 census records available for the last name Galvin. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Galvin census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Galvin

Passenger Lists

There are 18,000 immigration records available for the last name Galvin. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Galvin immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 15,000 military records available for the last name Galvin. For the veterans among your Galvin ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Galvin military records

You've only scratched the surface of Galvin family history

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What is the average Galvin lifespan?

Between 1947 and 2004, in the United States, Galvin life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Galvin in 1947 was 47, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Galvin

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Galvin ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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