Meanings
proper nounGalvin (countable and uncountable, plural Galvins)
plural Galvins · alternative Gallivan
- countableuncountableA surname.
- countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Lewis County, Washington, United States.
Origin
- Old Frenchgaler“to enjoy oneself”
- FrenchGalvin
- IrishÓ Gealbháin“descendant of Gealbhán”
- EnglishGalvin
Two main origins: * Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Ó Gealbháin (“descendant of Gealbhán”), a personal name composed of the elements geal (“bright”) and bán (“white”). * Borrowed from French Galvin, either a variant of Gauvain or a nickname for a drunkard, from Old French galer (“to enjoy oneself”).
More words from Irish, French, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
Galvin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Galvin
MLA
“Galvin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Galvin. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Galvin,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Galvin.
Source: Galvin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.