Gavin — Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: Ó Gáibhín
Meaning: 'descendant of Gábhán'
Traditional stronghold: Mayo
Pronunciation: GAV-in; Irish Ó Gáibhín: oh GAW-veen
History of the Gavin name
Gavin in Ireland usually represents Ó Gáibhín of County Mayo, with a separate Munster family, Ó Gábháin, contributing bearers further south; both derive from an old personal name of uncertain meaning, sometimes linked to gábhadh, 'want' or 'peril'. The name is quite distinct from the Scottish given name Gavin, though the spelling coincides. Mayo has always been its stronghold, with Gavan an occasional variant spelling. The name achieved modern celebrity in Dublin through Jim Gavin, the quietly spoken pilot who managed the Dublin footballers to an unprecedented five All-Ireland titles in a row between 2015 and 2019.
Variants: Gavan
Famous bearers of the name
- Jim Gavin — Manager of Dublin's historic five-in-a-row All-Ireland football champions.
- Frankie Gavin — Galway fiddle virtuoso and founder of the band De Dannan.
- Diarmuid Gavin — Garden designer and broadcaster, gold medallist at the Chelsea Flower Show.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Walsh · Burke · Moran · Higgins · Conway · Costello · Jennings · Browne