Galvin Family History

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Galvin Name Meaning

Irish: reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Gealbháin ‘descendant of Gealbhán’, a personal name from geal ‘bright’ + bán ‘white’. French: nickname for a cheerful drunkard, from Old French galer ‘to enjoy oneself’, also used in a transitive sense with the meaning ‘waste’, ‘consume’ + vin ‘wine’ (Latin vinum). French: from a variant of the personal name Gauvain (see Gavin).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Gavin, Garvin, Savin, Gauvin, Galvan, Calvin, Albin, Alvin, Gallen

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Galvin Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Galvin name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Galvin. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • Ireland & Scotland

    43%

  • England & Wales

    30%

  • Germanic Europe

    4%

  • France

    4%

  • Eastern Europe & Russia

    4%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Galvin Family Origin

Where is the Galvin family from?

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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 the 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.

View Census Data for Galvin

Galvin Family Occupations

What did your Galvin ancestors do for a living?

In 1881, a less common occupation for the Galvin family was Cultivateur. The most common Galvin occupation in Canada was Farmer. 32% of Galvin's were Farmers. Farmer, Laborer and Servant were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Galvin.

View Census data for Galvin | Data not to scale

  • Farmer

    32%

  • Laborer

    9%

  • Servant

    7%

  • Cultivateur

    6%

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Galvin ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Galvin Historical Records

What Galvin family records will you find?

Census Record

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 1881 Canadian census records for Galvin

Passenger List

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 Card

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

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Galvin Life Expectancy

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.

Famous Galvin Family Ancestors

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