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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 1891 there were 271 Galvin families living in Lancashire. This was about 41% of all the recorded Galvin's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Galvin families in 1891.
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 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Galvin. 23% of Galvin men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Galvin women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Galvin were Builders Labourer and Housewife.

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 1939

  • General Labourer
    23%
  • Dock Labourer
    14%
  • Public Works Contractors Labourer
    7%
  • Builders Labourer
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Cook
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%

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 UK 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 the UK, 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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