NameCensus.

UK surname

Gallivan

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Gallchobhair" meaning "descendant of the freckled one".

In the 1881 census there were 107 people recorded with the Gallivan surname, ranking it #18,982 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 484, ranked #10,218, up from #18,982 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Panteague and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include The Vale of Glamorgan, Swansea and Cardiff.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gallivan is 501 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 352.3%.

1881 census count

107

Ranked #18,982

Modern count

484

2016, ranked #10,218

Peak year

2013

501 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gallivan had 107 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,982 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 484 in 2016, ranked #10,218.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 174 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Gallivan surname distribution map

The map shows where the Gallivan surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Gallivan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gallivan over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 67 #21,440
1861 historical 61 #26,170
1881 historical 107 #18,982
1891 historical 111 #22,421
1901 historical 151 #17,988
1911 historical 174 #16,311
1997 modern 447 #10,128
1998 modern 458 #10,267
1999 modern 464 #10,216
2000 modern 465 #10,175
2001 modern 455 #10,147
2002 modern 464 #10,181
2003 modern 469 #9,940
2004 modern 470 #9,958
2005 modern 480 #9,718
2006 modern 474 #9,855
2007 modern 476 #9,916
2008 modern 476 #10,012
2009 modern 495 #9,942
2010 modern 499 #10,078
2011 modern 481 #10,244
2012 modern 487 #10,061
2013 modern 501 #10,006
2014 modern 497 #10,113
2015 modern 489 #10,168
2016 modern 484 #10,218

Geography

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Where Gallivans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Panteague, London parishes, Merthyr Tydfil and Cardiff St John and St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to The Vale of Glamorgan, Swansea and Cardiff. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Panteague Monmouthshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Merthyr Tydfil Glamorganshire
5 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 The Vale of Glamorgan 007 Vale of Glamorgan
2 Swansea 009 Swansea
3 Cardiff 031 Cardiff
4 Cardiff 045 Cardiff
5 Cardiff 026 Cardiff

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gallivan

These lists show first names that appear often with the Gallivan surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gallivan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gallivan, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Gallivan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Gallivan household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Gallivan is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gallivan is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gallivan falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gallivan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Gallivan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Gallivan

The surname Gallivan has its origins in Ireland, specifically in the province of Munster. It is believed to have emerged in the 16th or 17th century from the Irish Gaelic name "O'Gallchobhair," which translates to "descendant of the foreign helper."

This name likely originated in the counties of Cork or Kerry, where the Gallivan clan was prominent. The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Fiants of the Reign of Elizabeth I, which mentions a "John O'Gallchover" in 1586.

In the 17th century, the name underwent several spelling variations, such as Gallchover, Gallchobar, and Gallchobeir, before settling on the more anglicized form of Gallivan. This change was a result of the gradual adoption of English language and customs in Ireland.

One notable figure from this period was Dermot Gallivan, a member of the Irish Confederate Catholic forces during the Irish Confederate Wars (1641–1653). He played a role in the defense of the town of Clonmel against the Parliamentarian forces led by Oliver Cromwell.

The 18th century saw the Gallivan family spread throughout Ireland, with several members achieving prominence. John Gallivan (1730-1804) was a noted Catholic clergyman and writer, known for his work "The Ancient Irish Histories." Another notable figure was Michael Gallivan (1770-1857), a successful merchant and philanthropist in Limerick.

In the 19th century, many Gallivans emigrated from Ireland, particularly during the Great Famine of the 1840s. One such individual was Patrick Gallivan (1810-1890), who settled in Boston, Massachusetts, and became a prominent businessman and political figure, serving as a state senator.

Another notable Gallivan was Thomas Gallivan (1842-1902), a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada and as a judge in Ontario. He played a significant role in the establishment of the Canadian Criminal Code.

As the Gallivan family spread across the globe, the name continued to appear in various fields. One example is John Gallivan (1889-1949), an Australian rules footballer who played for the Carlton Football Club in the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gallivan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gallivan surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Surrey leads with 36 Gallivans recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.08x.

County Total Index
Surrey 36 7.08x
Glamorgan 15 8.26x
Yorkshire 14 1.35x
Middlesex 8 0.77x
Monmouthshire 7 9.28x
Brecknockshire 6 28.75x
Cardiganshire 5 19.65x
Kent 4 1.12x
Lanarkshire 3 0.89x
Durham 2 0.64x
Lancashire 2 0.16x
Cheshire 1 0.43x
Cornwall 1 0.85x
Hampshire 1 0.47x
Pembrokeshire 1 3.02x
Warwickshire 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Newington in Surrey leads with 14 Gallivans recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.32x.

Place Total Index
Newington 14 36.32x
Merthyr Tydfil 12 68.73x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 8 166.67x
Rotherhithe 7 54.31x
Brecknock St David 6 1071.43x
Blaenporth 5 2083.33x
Leeds 5 8.56x
Poplar London 5 25.39x
St Woollos 4 47.51x
Wandsworth 4 39.80x
Barony 3 3.51x
Beddington 3 152.28x
Chatham 3 30.64x
Newport 3 83.33x
Camberwell 2 3.00x
Guildford St Nicholas 2 222.22x
Stockton On Tees 2 13.37x
Atherstone 1 74.63x
Bermondsey 1 3.22x
Bradford 1 4.00x
Camborne 1 20.53x
Cardiff St John 1 16.86x
Chiswick 1 17.54x
Farnborough 1 44.44x
Gillingham 1 13.62x
Lambeth 1 1.10x
Layton With Warbreck 1 22.03x
Neath 1 27.03x
Pembroke St Mary 1 23.42x
Southwark Christchurch 1 20.45x
Southwark St Saviour 1 18.66x
St George In East London 1 10.18x
St Pancras London 1 1.19x
Stayley 1 38.02x
Swansea Town 1 6.71x
Whittingham 1 181.82x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Gallivan surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 9
Ellen 7
Ann 5
Catherine 4
Jane 3
Julia 3
Annie 2
Emma 2
Margaret 2
Norah 2
Annah 1
Anne 1
Austives 1
Bridget 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellion 1
Fanny 1
Gwen 1
Hannah 1
Honer 1
Joan 1
Letitia 1
Margret 1
Margt. 1
Mire 1
Susanah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Gallivan surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 7
Thomas 6
James 5
Jeremiah 3
Patrick 3
Daniel 2
George 2
Michael 2
Richard 2
Timothy 2
William 2
Charles 1
David 1
Dennis 1
Edward 1
Edwd. 1
Francis 1
Fredrick 1
Joseph 1
Laurence 1
Owen 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Gallivan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gallivan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 107 people were recorded with the Gallivan surname. That placed it at #18,982 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gallivan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 484 in 2016. That gives Gallivan a modern rank of #10,218.

What does the Gallivan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Gallchobhair" meaning "descendant of the freckled one".

What does the Gallivan map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Gallivan bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.