The Galvan surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 53,822 people carried this name — #630 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 5,480 people counted. That is up 34% from 40,046 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Galvan surname
From Spanish Galván, ultimately from Latin Galbanus, from Galba + -anus (“-an”), from galba (“larva, worm, fatty”), from Gaulish of uncertain meaning.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Galvan» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 59,160 people named Galvan live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 317 people named Galvan.
Most of them — 185 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 34 départements, most often Hauts-de-Seine.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
79 people named Galvan live in Switzerland.
They live in 8 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 22 people named Galvan live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Hainaut.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Galvan in American newspapers,
1873.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 25,174 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Galvan,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Carla Galvan 1952– · poet -
Sara Bronin 1978– · lawyer -
Victoria Galvan 1986– · singer -
Matteo Galvan 1988– · sprinter -
Sergio Galvan 1946– · university teacher
-
Anna Galvan 1978– · netballer
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 22 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Galvan.
- Gallucci 2,331 · U.S. census
- Gally 254 · U.S. census
- Galmiche 153 · U.S. census
- Galon 261 · U.S. census
- Galpin 806 · U.S. census
- Galus 478 · U.S. census
- Galvani 215 · U.S. census
- Galves 466 · U.S. census
- Galvez 20,425 · U.S. census
- Galvin 11,882 · U.S. census
- Galy 140 · U.S. census
- Gama 4,513 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Galvan is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.