NameCensus.

UK surname

Gavan

An Irish surname derived from the old Gaelic name Gaibhtheann, meaning "white hawk".

In the 1881 census there were 283 people recorded with the Gavan surname, ranking it #10,119 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 404, ranked #11,793, down from #10,119 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Manchester and Dean. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wrexham, Rossendale and Bellshill South.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gavan is 421 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.8%.

1881 census count

283

Ranked #10,119

Modern count

404

2016, ranked #11,793

Peak year

2011

421 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gavan had 283 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,119 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 404 in 2016, ranked #11,793.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 283 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Gavan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Gavan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gavan 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 175 #11,542
1861 historical 111 #19,429
1881 historical 283 #10,119
1891 historical 222 #13,854
1901 historical 198 #15,213
1911 historical 225 #13,874
1997 modern 381 #11,393
1998 modern 396 #11,435
1999 modern 392 #11,624
2000 modern 415 #11,109
2001 modern 400 #11,229
2002 modern 411 #11,208
2003 modern 391 #11,441
2004 modern 386 #11,579
2005 modern 392 #11,355
2006 modern 405 #11,131
2007 modern 408 #11,203
2008 modern 401 #11,441
2009 modern 405 #11,616
2010 modern 409 #11,783
2011 modern 421 #11,379
2012 modern 389 #11,963
2013 modern 409 #11,714
2014 modern 405 #11,880
2015 modern 402 #11,861
2016 modern 404 #11,793

Geography

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Where Gavans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Manchester, Dean, Liverpool and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wrexham, Rossendale, Bellshill South, Chesterfield and North Devon. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Dean Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wrexham 012 Wrexham
2 Rossendale 002 Rossendale
3 Bellshill South North Lanarkshire
4 Chesterfield 008 Chesterfield
5 North Devon 005 North Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gavan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gavan

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gavan, 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 Gavan surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Gavan 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, Gavan 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

Gavan is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gavan 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 Gavan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Gavan

The surname Gavan is believed to have originated from the Gaelic Gaelic personal name Gabhán, derived from the Old Irish words 'gabha' meaning 'blacksmith' and 'an' meaning 'little'. It is a name that can be traced back to medieval Ireland, where it was most prevalent in the provinces of Leinster and Munster.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gavan can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. It mentions a man named Gabhán Ua Duibhenaigh, who was the abbot of the monastery of Cluain Eidhneach (modern-day Clones, County Monaghan) in the early 12th century.

The Gavan name is also mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Cumbria, a series of financial records from the 12th and 13th centuries. These rolls document a family of landowners in the region, headed by one William Gavan, who held estates in the area in the late 1100s.

In the 16th century, several notable individuals bore the Gavan surname. One was John Gavan, a Protestant reformer and Bishop of Ossory in Ireland, who was born around 1505 and died in 1590. Another was Naghtan Gavan, an Irish chieftain and leader of the Gaelic nobility in County Leitrim, who played a role in the Nine Years' War in the late 1500s.

In the 17th century, the name Gavan appeared in various forms, such as Gavin, Gavine, and Gavyn. One prominent bearer of the name was James Gavin, a Scottish clergyman and author, who was born in 1614 and served as the Bishop of Galloway from 1679 until his death in 1699.

Another notable individual with the Gavan surname was Patrick Gavan, an Irish Jacobite soldier and author, who was born in County Leitrim in 1678. He served in the Irish Army of King James II and later wrote a memoir detailing his experiences during the Williamite War in Ireland.

As the Gavan name spread across the British Isles and beyond, it evolved into different spellings and variations, such as Gavigan, Gavigan, and Gaven. Despite these changes, the name's roots can be traced back to its Gaelic origins in medieval Ireland, where it was borne by blacksmiths, clergy, and members of the Gaelic nobility.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gavan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gavan 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 129 Gavans recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.92x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 129 3.92x
Staffordshire 32 3.42x
Lanarkshire 20 2.23x
Yorkshire 13 0.47x
Warwickshire 11 1.57x
Derbyshire 9 2.08x
Surrey 9 0.67x
Aberdeenshire 8 3.12x
Angus 6 2.34x
Durham 6 0.73x
Northumberland 5 1.21x
Ayrshire 4 1.93x
Middlesex 4 0.14x
Midlothian 4 1.08x
Perthshire 4 3.22x
Shropshire 4 1.67x
Leicestershire 3 0.98x
Cheshire 2 0.33x
Dunbartonshire 2 2.69x
Glamorgan 2 0.41x
Kent 2 0.21x
Devon 1 0.17x
Hampshire 1 0.18x
Herefordshire 1 0.88x
Royal Navy 1 3.03x
Worcestershire 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 33 Gavans recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.53x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 33 16.53x
Newchurch 16 59.50x
Birmingham 10 4.29x
Blackburn 10 11.43x
Oldham 10 9.43x
Eccleston In Prescot 9 54.55x
Glasgow 9 5.66x
Kirkdale 9 16.27x
Aberdeen Old Machar 8 14.93x
Burslem 8 29.86x
Newcastle Under Lyme 8 48.34x
Warrington 8 20.53x
Barony 7 3.09x
Dundee 6 6.26x
Stafford St Mary 6 45.32x
Tapton 6 3529.41x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 9.57x
Farnworth 5 25.38x
Sheffield 5 5.72x
Skelmersdale 5 91.24x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 8.97x
Wolverhampton 5 6.95x
Auckinleck 4 62.31x
Longbenton 4 22.91x
Newport 4 138.41x
Wardleworth 4 21.29x
Wednesfield 4 29.07x
Willington 4 84.03x
Bermondsey 3 3.64x
Brightside Bierlow 3 5.57x
Fulham London 3 7.47x
Lanark 3 41.61x
Leicester St Margaret 3 4.01x
Manchester 3 2.03x
West Calder 3 40.98x
West Derby 3 3.12x
Cwmdu 2 34.01x
Oswaldtwistle 2 17.23x
Perth Middle Church 2 42.74x
Row 2 20.77x
Wombwell 2 25.00x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 1.39x
Barrow In Furness 1 2.24x
Bartestree 1 526.32x
Baslow With Bubnell 1 125.00x
Bradford 1 1.50x
Brampton 1 16.50x
Cheriton 1 25.97x
Chester St John Baptist 1 9.10x
Chesterfield 1 6.15x
Chorley 1 5.42x
Edgbaston 1 4.62x
Edinburgh Old Church 1 33.56x
Esh 1 16.67x
Fawdon 1 285.71x
Hampton Wick London 1 49.26x
Hoghton 1 120.48x
Lostock Gralam 1 135.14x
Milton In Gravesend 1 7.06x
Much Woolton 1 22.42x
Newington 1 0.98x
Normanby In 1 13.62x
Old Monkland 1 2.81x
Perth East Church 1 8.53x
Perth St Pauls 1 34.72x
Portsmouth 1 7.65x
Royal Navy 1 3.54x
Southowram 1 11.93x
Stockton On Tees 1 2.52x
Stoke Damerel 1 2.48x
Stourbridge 1 10.74x
Walsall Foreign 1 2.07x
Whiston 1 39.06x
Whittingham 1 68.97x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 28
Margaret 11
Bridget 9
Annie 5
Catherine 5
Maria 5
Sarah 5
Julia 4
Eliza 3
Elizabeth 3
Ellen 3
Helen 2
Isabella 2
Jane 2
Margt. 2
Martha 2
Rebecca 2
Rosetta 2
Ann 1
Anna 1
Catharine 1
Cathrine 1
Elena 1
Elizth. 1
Elsie 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Harriett 1
Henrietta 1
Kate 1
Lizzie 1
Lucy 1
Maggie 1
Mather 1
Rose 1
Sabina 1
Susannah 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 22
James 15
Thomas 14
Patrick 13
Michael 11
Edward 6
Bernard 3
Hugh 3
William 3
Alexander 2
Dominic 2
Joseph 2
Martin 2
Micheal 2
Peter 2
Philip 2
Richard 2
Andrew 1
Anthony 1
Austin 1
Charles 1
Constantine 1
David 1
Domilick 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
George 1
Jas. 1
Walter 1
Willian 1

FAQ

Gavan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gavan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 283 people were recorded with the Gavan surname. That placed it at #10,119 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gavan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 404 in 2016. That gives Gavan a modern rank of #11,793.

What does the Gavan surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the old Gaelic name Gaibhtheann, meaning "white hawk".

What does the Gavan map show?

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