Genealogy Chat

Does anyone know if this surname might belong to a certain area or county in Ireland. The name doesn't seem as common in England as other Irish names.
Having looked at the 'search trees' apart from Kerry nothing else is mentioned in Ireland. thanks -jl

I Googled and found this, if it's any use




The surname of GALLIVAN was derived from the Gaelic O'Gealbhain. They were originally a County Clare sept, but have now spread into neighbouring counties. The name is numerous in County Kerry where it is also spelt as Gallvan

It should be noted that the surname of 'Gallivan' is often confused with the surname of 'Galvin' and 'Galvan.' However, the name of 'Gallivan' was anglicized only ONCE - - - from O'Gealeabhain to O'Gallivan (Gallivan). It was not anglicized a second time & third time from Gallivan- to Galvin- to Galvan (anglicization happens only once). Also, in Old Irish: Geal=Gall/ea=i/bhain=van (not vin).

As mentioned before, the O'Gallivan's were descended from Cormac Cas who was killed in Battle A.D. 254. Cormac Cas was an ancestor of the Dal gCais from whom descended Brian Boroimhe (or Borama) more popularly known as Brian Boru, born in A.D. 941.

The author Edward MacLysaght, in his book titled "The Surnames of Ireland," never researched the three surnames and instead lumped the three families into one, and never went into the histories of these three families - - - If he had researched the names he would have known that "Galvan" is very much Spanish and the name exists in old Spanish records in Mexico and Spain and of the Spanish Armada's connection with Ireland; as well as the Galvin's French connection - - - "Vin" does mean "wine" in French and does mean to "waste and wine" (from the OLD-FRENCH "galer" and "vin").

The Norman conquest of the more easterly parts of Munster, drove the McCarthy's; O'Sullivan's; O'Gallivan's and other tribes of those parts to County Kerry, displacing some of the resident families. By the late 16th century, the lands of Kerry and Cork began to attract the attention of English "adventurers" who approached the English crown to give them title to these lands. A huge scheme of confiscation of Munster lands was planned. This alarmed the IRISH and NORMAN chieftains (note: Norman as in French-Norman as in Galvin) who protested against the scheme. Their formal protests about the scheme failed.

References: "The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland" O'Donovan & Connelian Editions/"The Book of Rights" edited from the Gaelic by John O'Donovan/"Genealogical Tract No. 1" comprising introductions to McFirbis book of Genealogies, edited from the Gaelic, Irish Manuscripts Commission Publication/Extracts from the MacFirbis & O'Clery Genealogical Compilations/Irish Family Names by Captain Patrick Kelly/Genealogical History of Irish Families by John Rooney/Irish Names & Surnames by Rev. Patrick Woulfe/Celtic Ireland by Prof. Eoin MacNeill/Analecta Hibernica No. 3, Irish Manuscripts Commission/The Genealogies, Tribes, & Customs of Hy Fiachrach, edited from the Gaelic by John O'Donovan/Lectures of the Manuscript material of Ancient Irish History by Eugene O'Curry/Onomasticon Goedelicum by Rev. E. Hogan, S.J./Topographical Poems of O'Dubhagain & O'Hiudhrin edited from the Gaelic by John O'Donovan/a dictionary of surnames by Patrick Hanks & Flavia Hodges/History of Ireland, by Sylvester O'Halloran/History of Ireland, by Abbe MacGeoghegan/Special Report on Surnames in Ireland, British Government Publication/Clare Island Survey, Place Names & Family Names (Royal Irish Academy Proceedings, Vol. XXI) by Prof. John MacNeill/The Clans of Ireland, published by O'Sullivan Brothers, Dublin/Loca Patriciana by Rev. John Francis Shearman/Irish Records by James G. Ryan, PHD.

there is this
Gallivan
Irish: reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Gealbháin (see Galvin). This form is associated particularly with County Kerry.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-50813

Thanks MaryMc.
I was hoping for some local knowledge that is why I didn't 'google' straightaway but I appreciate your information as it has answered a further question I was going to ask, that being, could it be also written as Galvin, or now Gallvan as you have mentioned. Thanks again for help -jl

Sorry I was too slow with my thanks......will read your second message now. -jl

You're welcome. Hopefully someone can come along with some local knowledge :)

Thanks Maddie for your message.

....... I have been trying to find out where an Irish girl working in England in the 1930's called Mary Galivan might have originated from. The alternate name she was given which I found on the Electoral Roll was Mary Galvin but thinking about it she wouldn't have entered the details on the form herself it would be the person she worked for so that may be why she was entered as Galvin not Galivan.-jl

Have to go out now, in case anymore messages come through, but I will take a look later on in the day-jl

Hi,do you know Mary's birth year ?

Cass

Hi Cass, well thats the problem. I can say that she gave birth to a child, probably unknown to her family, in 1935. I found her on the Electoral Rolls in 1936 so she must have been at least 21 by then .

From that I would say that she was born 1915 or just a few years earlier....j

I have a Mary Galvin in my tree ( not the same one) from Co Kerry, and I've found her name also spelled Gallivan in church records.

Thanks for that Rose. I have seen a copy of a birth certificate which was clearly written Galivan so perhaps, rightly or wrongly, the two names were inter changed-j

PP.... ..... there's not much difference between a spud and spaghetti...lol-jl