How Common Is the Last Name Galvan?

An estimated 59,257 people in the United States share the surname Galvan. That's about 1 in 5,784 Americans. This data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau surname frequency tables.

This page covers the Galvan surname's frequency in the U.S. population, its rank among all American surnames, and a breakdown of ancestry and ethnicity data from the Census. You can also check how many people share any first + last name combination involving Galvan.

Estimated Americans with this Surname

59,257

About 1 in 5,784 people in the U.S.

Census Rank

#640

Uncommon 17.29 per 100K

Frequency Rate

17.29

per 100,000 people

Census Count

51,675

2020 Census

Data Source

2020

U.S. Census Bureau

Ancestry and Ethnicity for Galvan

The Galvan surname is most commonly associated with people who identify as Hispanic (91.75%). The next largest groups are White (6.16%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.98%).

Self-reported race and ethnicity from the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau surname tables. Some categories may be suppressed for privacy when sample sizes are small.

White
6.16%
Black
0.32%
Hispanic
91.75%
Asian/Pacific Islander
0.98%
American Indian/Alaska Native
0.41%
Two or More Races
0.38%

Historical Census Data for Galvan

Galvan appears in 3 published Census surname releases on this site (2000, 2010, 2020). From 2000 to 2020, the raw count became more common and the per-100,000 rate became more common. Its best published rank was #630 in 2010.

Between the 2010 and 2020 census releases, the surname Galvan became less common in the United States. Both the raw count and the population-adjusted frequency moved down.

The line to watch most closely is per 100,000 people. That adjusts for overall population growth, so it shows whether Galvan became a bigger or smaller share of the country, not just whether the raw count went up.

Census Count Over Time

Raw Census count in each published surname release.

40,046 to 53,822

40,046 53,822 51,675 2000 2010 2020

Per 100,000 Over Time

Population-adjusted frequency, which is usually the cleaner trend line.

14.84 to 18.25

14.84 18.25 17.29 2000 2010 2020

Release-by-release summary

Each row is a published Census surname table for Galvan. The change column compares each release to the one before it.

Year Rank Count Per 100K Change vs prior release Largest recorded group
2000
#788 40,046 14.84 Baseline release Hispanic (91.54%)
2010
#630 53,822 18.25
Count 29.35%
Rate 20.61%
Hispanic (92.26%)
2020 Latest
#640 51,675 17.29
Count -4.07%
Rate -5.41%
Hispanic (91.75%)

If the raw count rose but the per-100,000 number fell, the surname still became less common relative to the size of the U.S. population. That is why the frequency rate usually tells the clearer story.

Recorded ancestry change

These percentages show how the Census profile for this surname shifted across the published surveys on this site.

Ancestry 202020102000 Change Since 2000
White 6.16%6.06%6.87% -10.84%
Black 0.32%0.27%0.21% 40.72%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.98%0.80%0.61% 46.65%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.41%0.38%0.39% 5.06%
Two or More Races 0.38%0.23%0.37% 1.46%
Hispanic 91.75%92.26%91.54% 0.23%

These percentages come from self-reported Census data. They describe how the recorded makeup of people using the surname Galvan changed from 2000 through 2020, not the deeper family origin of every bearer of the name.

First Name + Galvan Combinations

How many people share a full name with Galvan as the last name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Galvan Surname: Questions and Answers

How common is the last name Galvan?

Galvan is the #640 most common surname in the United States, with an estimated 59,257 people sharing this last name. It appears at a rate of 17.29 per 100,000 Americans.

Has the surname Galvan become more or less common over time?

In the published Census surname tables on this site, Galvan moved from 40,046 people in 2000 to 51,675 in 2020. The more important line is the population-adjusted rate, which changed from 14.84 to 17.29 per 100,000.

Why can the raw count go up while the rate per 100,000 goes down?

Because the total U.S. population can grow faster than the surname itself. A surname can have more people in absolute numbers but still make up a smaller share of the country, which is why the per-100,000 figure often tells the clearer story.

What does the ancestry change table show for Galvan?

It compares the published Census demographic mix for Galvan across releases on this page. That helps you see whether the recorded share of the surname shifted between groups over time, but it still does not tell the full family history of every person with the name.

What does 17.29 per 100,000 mean?

It means that if you picked 100,000 people in the United States at random, about 17.29 of them would have the surname Galvan. This is usually the clearest way to compare surnames because it adjusts for the size of the total population.

What ethnicity is the surname Galvan?

The Galvan surname is most commonly associated with people who identify as Hispanic (91.75%). The next largest groups are White (6.16%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.98%). This data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau surname tables, which include self-reported race and ethnicity breakdowns.

Does the ancestry table tell the exact family origin of everyone named Galvan?

No. It shows how people with the surname Galvan identified in the Census. That is useful context, but it does not prove the deeper family history, nationality, or origin story of every person with the name.

How many people named [First Name] Galvan are there?

We can estimate any first + last name combination. Popular examples: Michael Galvan, James Galvan, John Galvan. Search any combination on our homepage.

Where does this surname data come from?

Surname frequency data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau decennial surname tables. These list every surname appearing in the Census along with frequency rates and demographic breakdowns. Full methodology.

Search for a full name combination