NameCensus.

UK surname

Garvin

Derived from the Irish Gaelic surname "Ó Gairbhín," meaning "descendant of Gairbhín," a personal name meaning "rough" or "nasty."

In the 1881 census there were 271 people recorded with the Garvin surname, ranking it #10,449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 534, ranked #9,515, up from #10,449 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Wigan. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blackburn with Darwen, South Tyneside and Cheshire West and Chester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Garvin is 563 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 97.0%.

1881 census count

271

Ranked #10,449

Modern count

534

2016, ranked #9,515

Peak year

2010

563 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Garvin had 271 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,449 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 534 in 2016, ranked #9,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 288 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Garvin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Garvin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Garvin 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 159 #12,400
1861 historical 147 #15,539
1881 historical 271 #10,449
1891 historical 258 #12,440
1901 historical 288 #11,973
1911 historical 286 #11,810
1997 modern 509 #9,181
1998 modern 535 #9,118
1999 modern 554 #8,929
2000 modern 542 #9,056
2001 modern 534 #9,000
2002 modern 534 #9,190
2003 modern 522 #9,204
2004 modern 503 #9,480
2005 modern 515 #9,251
2006 modern 514 #9,291
2007 modern 516 #9,343
2008 modern 530 #9,219
2009 modern 538 #9,327
2010 modern 563 #9,193
2011 modern 557 #9,170
2012 modern 541 #9,294
2013 modern 546 #9,392
2014 modern 544 #9,476
2015 modern 539 #9,477
2016 modern 534 #9,515

Geography

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Where Garvins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gateshead, Wigan, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blackburn with Darwen, South Tyneside, Cheshire West and Chester and Westminster. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Wigan Lancashire
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blackburn with Darwen 005 Blackburn with Darwen
2 South Tyneside 014 South Tyneside
3 Cheshire West and Chester 047 Cheshire West and Chester
4 Blackburn with Darwen 012 Blackburn with Darwen
5 Westminster 011 Westminster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Garvin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Garvin

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Garvin, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Garvin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Garvin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Garvin 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

Garvin is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Garvin falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Garvin 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 Garvin, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Garvin

The surname Garvin originated in Scotland and is a variant of the name Garvine, which comes from the Gaelic word "garbh" meaning "rough" or "rugged." The earliest recorded instances of this surname date back to the 16th century in the parish records of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England after the Norman Conquest, there is no mention of the name Garvin or its variants. However, the name appears in various historical documents and records from Scotland in the following centuries.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Garvin was John Garvin, a Scottish clergyman who lived in the late 16th century and served as the minister of Kilwinning in Ayrshire.

In the 17th century, a prominent figure with this surname was Robert Garvin, a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who was born in Muirkirk, Ayrshire, around 1630. He contributed to the development of logarithms and published works on astronomy.

Another notable bearer of the Garvin name was James Garvin, a Scottish politician and lawyer who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1766 to 1768.

In the 19th century, Joseph Garvin (1820-1896) was a Scottish businessman and philanthropist from Glasgow. He made his fortune in the textile industry and donated significant funds for educational and charitable causes.

During the same period, William Garvin (1847-1919) was a Scottish journalist and newspaper editor who worked for several influential publications, including the Newcastle Daily Chronicle and the Observer.

The surname Garvin can also be found in various place names and older spellings, such as Garvine and Garvan, which are still used in some areas of Scotland today.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Garvin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Garvin 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. Lancashire leads with 77 Garvins recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.49x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 77 2.49x
Lanarkshire 32 3.80x
Angus 30 12.43x
Yorkshire 25 0.97x
Renfrewshire 15 7.43x
Surrey 13 1.02x
Ayrshire 12 6.16x
Durham 12 1.55x
Middlesex 12 0.46x
East Lothian 10 28.99x
Derbyshire 8 1.96x
Stirlingshire 8 8.33x
Cheshire 4 0.70x
Cumberland 1 0.45x
Dorset 1 0.59x
Essex 1 0.19x
Fife 1 0.65x
Gloucestershire 1 0.20x
Hampshire 1 0.19x
Midlothian 1 0.29x
Northumberland 1 0.26x
Staffordshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liff Benvie in Angus leads with 26 Garvins recorded in 1881 and an index of 70.98x.

Place Total Index
Liff Benvie 26 70.98x
Wigan 14 32.41x
Blackburn 11 13.38x
Humbie 10 1234.57x
Irvine 10 184.84x
Lambeth 10 4.40x
Brightside Bierlow 8 15.80x
Cadder 8 128.62x
Kilmalcolm 8 330.58x
New Monkland 8 32.13x
Southowram 8 101.52x
Staveley 8 110.50x
Burtonwood 7 619.47x
Dawdon 7 73.45x
Old Monkland 7 20.94x
Stirling 7 57.80x
Ashton In Makerfield 6 68.18x
Everton 5 5.08x
Kirkdale 5 9.62x
Newton 5 20.99x
Widnes 5 22.43x
Friern Barnet 4 69.69x
Hartlepool 4 36.33x
Lochee 4 186.05x
Manchester 4 2.88x
Barony 3 1.41x
Bermondsey 3 3.87x
Birkenhead 3 6.55x
Govan 3 1.44x
Horton In Bradford 3 7.44x
Islington London 3 1.19x
Middlesbrough 3 8.93x
Sheffield 3 3.65x
West Greenock 3 8.28x
Westhoughton 3 36.36x
Glasgow 2 1.34x
Haydock 2 37.59x
Hulme 2 3.10x
Paisley High Church 2 12.45x
Abbey 1 3.25x
Aldershot 1 5.59x
Alston 1 24.21x
Aspull 1 13.76x
Blackrod 1 26.04x
Blantyre 1 11.40x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 4.08x
Burton Upon Trent 1 4.86x
Canford Magna 1 101.01x
Chelsea London 1 1.27x
Church Hulme 1 169.49x
Clerkenwell London 1 1.63x
Cowpen 1 11.21x
Dalrymple 1 81.97x
Dunfermline 1 4.22x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.71x
Fulwood 1 29.94x
Grays Thurrock 1 20.92x
Great Sankey 1 175.44x
Hackney London 1 0.68x
Kilwinning 1 15.90x
Kippen 1 77.52x
Liverpool 1 0.53x
Moreton In Marsh 1 78.13x
Norton 1 35.09x
Oldham 1 1.00x
Orell Ford 1 175.44x
Paddington London 1 1.04x
Paisley Middle Church 1 8.51x
Westminster St James 1 3.74x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 17
Catherine 11
Margaret 9
Elizabeth 6
Ann 4
Annie 4
Jane 3
Julia 3
Kate 3
Harriet 2
Sarah 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Cadser 1
Clara 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Helen 1
Honora 1
Isabella 1
Louise 1
Maggie 1
Martha 1
Rebecca 1
Susanah 1
Sylvia 1
Walter 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 14
James 12
Thomas 11
William 8
Michael 4
Patrick 4
Edward 3
Henry 3
Peter 2
Richard 2
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Archibald 1
George 1
Harry 1
Jmes 1
Martin 1
Michl. 1
Patsy 1
Percy 1
Phillip 1
Thos. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Garvin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Garvin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 271 people were recorded with the Garvin surname. That placed it at #10,449 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Garvin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 534 in 2016. That gives Garvin a modern rank of #9,515.

What does the Garvin surname mean?

Derived from the Irish Gaelic surname "Ó Gairbhín," meaning "descendant of Gairbhín," a personal name meaning "rough" or "nasty."

What does the Garvin map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Garvin 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.