Garvin
A surname that likely began as a medieval personal name meaning “spear-friend,” though in Ireland it can also reflect native Gaelic forms.
The #2,664 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 22,809 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Harrison treats Garvin as a French-Teutonic form of the old Germanic personal name Garwine. That name breaks down into words meaning “spear” and “friend,” so the sense is roughly “spear-friend” or “war companion.” The same spelling in Ireland may also represent Anglicized Gaelic surnames such as Ó Gairbhín or related forms, so the name can have more than one source.
History
In England and Scotland, Garvin appears to have been used as a surname from an older personal name and is sometimes linked to a place-name in Nairnshire. Irish surname lists also show Garvin alongside spellings such as Garvan, Garvin, Garven, Garwin, and Girvin/Girvan, suggesting that several Anglicized Gaelic forms converged on this spelling. Because of that, modern bearers of the name may have either Germanic- or Irish-language origins depending on family line.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The old name behind Harrison’s explanation is built from the same “spear” element found in many Germanic personal names, which was a very common heroic naming pattern.
From the historical record
“GARVIN (A.-Fr.-Teut.) the Fr.-Teut, form of the A.-Sax. Gdrwine = Spear-Friend [O.Sax. O.H.Ger. gir = O.N. geir-r = O.E. gdr, a spear + O.Sax. O.H.Ger. wi^i = O.N. vin-r = O.E. wine, a friend] GEDDES. Mr. W. West, of Enniskillen, formerly of Nairn, tells me that there is an estate of this name in Nairnshire; but…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)