| Galvan is an Irish surname. Irish surnames have had their original forms altered in many ways. Before being translated into English, Galvan appeared as O Gealbhain, derived from the words "geal," which means "bright," and "ban," which means "white." The surname Galvan was first found in County Clare (Irish: An Clár) located on the west coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they are a sept of Thomond. More recently, the family is very numerous in Kerry where it is more often spelt Gallivan.
Spanish (Galván): from a medieval personal name. This is in origin the Latin name Galbanus (a derivative of the Roman surname Galba of uncertain origin). However it was used in a number of medieval romances as an equivalent of the Celtic name Gawain (see Gavin ) and it is probably this association that was mainly responsible for its popularity in the Middle Ages |
