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Garvin Family History

Garvin Name Meaning

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Gairbhín ‘descendant of Gairbhín’ a personal name derived from a diminutive of garbh ‘rough cruel’. English: from the Old English personal name Gārwine from gār ‘spear’ + wine ‘friend’.

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


Similar surnames: Galvin, Gavin, Larkin, Gargan, Savin, Hartin, Carlin, Garin, Gervin

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Garvin family from?

You can see how Garvin families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Garvin family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Garvin families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 136 Garvin families living in Ontario. This was about 56% of all the recorded Garvin's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Garvin families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Garvin surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Garvin ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Nurse were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Garvin. 29% of Garvin men worked as a Farmer and 27% of Garvin women worked as a Nurse. Some less common occupations for Americans named Garvin were Cultivateur and Clerk. .

View Census Data for Garvin | 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
    29%
  • Laborer
    15%
  • Labourer
    12%
  • Cultivateur
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Nurse
    27%
  • Income
    16%
  • Dressmaker
    16%
  • Clerk
    11%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Garvin family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 65,000 census records available for the last name Garvin. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Garvin census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Garvin

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Garvin. 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 Garvin immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 13,000 military records available for the last name Garvin. For the veterans among your Garvin ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Garvin military records

You've only scratched the surface of Garvin family history

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What is the average Garvin lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Garvin life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 1995. The average life expectancy for Garvin in 1949 was 48, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Garvin

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