2000
#788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 40,046
First available Census row
Per 100,000 14.84
Uncommon Last name
Galvan
A Spanish occupational surname referring to someone who galvanizes metal or a descriptor meaning "dashing" or "charming."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 59,257 Americans carry the last name Galvan. That puts it at #640 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 17.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 5,784 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Galvan surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
59K
1 in 5,784
Census rank
#640
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
17.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
52K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 51,675 bearers of the surname Galvan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 17.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 640th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Galvan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Galvan
The surname Galvan has its roots in Spain, where it originated as a Sephardic Jewish name. The name is derived from the Hebrew name Gal'van, which means "son of Van." The earliest recorded instances of this surname date back to the 12th century in the region of Aragon, Spain.
Galvan is believed to be a variant spelling of the more common Spanish surname Galván, which is thought to have originated from the Galician place name Galván or the Gallego word "galván," meaning "sparrow." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname or a descriptive name before becoming a hereditary surname.
One of the earliest known records of the name Galvan is found in the "Libro de Repartimiento de Málaga," a document from the 15th century that recorded the distribution of land and properties in the city of Málaga after the Reconquista. The document mentions several individuals with the surname Galvan, indicating that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.
Notable individuals with the surname Galvan include Juan Galván (1535-1592), a Spanish soldier and conquistador who participated in the conquest of the Philippines. Another prominent figure was Pedro Galván (1550-1624), a Spanish painter known for his religious works and portraits.
In the 16th century, the surname Galvan appeared in records from the Spanish colonies in the Americas, particularly in Mexico and the Southwestern United States. Diego Galván (1555-1617), a Spanish explorer and colonist, was one of the first to establish settlements in what is now New Mexico.
Other notable individuals with the surname Galvan include Matías Galván (1768-1832), a Mexican military officer and politician who played a role in the Mexican War of Independence, and Manuel Galván Rivero (1825-1899), a Spanish author and playwright known for his works on Andalusian culture and traditions.
While the surname Galvan is most commonly associated with Spain and its former colonies, it has also been found in other parts of the world, likely due to migration patterns and the spread of Sephardic Jewish communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the Iberian Peninsula and the rich cultural heritage of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Galvan
Among Census respondents with the surname Galvan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Galvan bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Galvan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.8% · 47,413
- White6.2% · 3,185
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 507
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 212
- Two or more races0.4% · 194
- Black or African American0.3% · 164
Timeline
Historical Census data for Galvan
Galvan appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#630
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 53,822
+13,776 bearers (+34.4%)
Per 100,000 18.25
Rank movement Up 158 places
2020
#640
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 51,675
-2,147 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 17.29
Rank movement Down 10 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #788 | 40,046 | 14.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #630 | 53,822 | 18.25 | +13,776 bearers (+34.4%) | Up 158 places |
| 2020 | #640 | 51,675 | 17.29 | -2,147 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 10 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Galvan surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #630 | #640 | -1.6% |
| Count | 53,822 | 51,675 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 18.25 | 17.29 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Galvan bearers went from 53,822 to 51,675 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 10 positions in the national ranking, going from #630 to #640.
FAQ
Galvan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Galvan?
Name Census estimates that about 59,257 living Americans carry the surname Galvan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 5,784 residents.
How common is Galvan?
Galvan ranks #640 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 17.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 17 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 51,675 people with the surname Galvan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (59,257), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 17.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 17.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 17 of them to have the surname Galvan.
Has Galvan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Galvan went from 53,822 recorded bearers to 51,675. That is a decrease of 2,147 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #630 to #640.
What does the Census say about the background of Galvan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Galvan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Galvan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (47,413 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Galvan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.8%), White (6.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Galvan (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Galvan mean?
A Spanish occupational surname referring to someone who galvanizes metal or a descriptor meaning "dashing" or "charming." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Galvan (17.29 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Galvan?
See how many Americans have the surname Galvan on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.