Galvin Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Galvin last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Galvin last name
Meaning of the Galvin last name: descendant of Gealbhán ("bright white"). Galvin comes from the Gaelic Ó Gealbháin, from a word meaning "bright" or "white". The family belonged to the old kingdom of Thomond, around Clare and Limerick, and later spread to Kerry. A curious detail: Gallivan is a Kerry spelling that keeps the old sound of the name. Many Galvins settled in Boston and New York, and the name is now common in the north-eastern United States.
Arms associated with the Galvin name
Irish shields often use green and gold, colours linked with the land and good fortune, a feel shared by the arms associated with the Galvin name.
Get your full Galvin family history
This is only a glimpse of the Galvin story. The full Galvin history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Galvin coat of arms. Get the full Galvin report.
Galvin name FAQ
What does the Galvin name mean?
Descendant of Gealbhán ("bright white"). Common variants include Galvan, Gallivan, O'Galvin.
Where does the Galvin surname come from?
It originates in Ireland, and is also found in the United States, England and Australia.
Is there a Galvin coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Galvin coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.