Chavez
A Spanish variant of Jose, meaning "supplanter" or "one who follows".
Name Census estimates that about 850 living Americans carry the first name Chavez. It is a predominantly male name (99.1% of registrations). The average person named Chavez today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chavez births was 1992 (60 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chavez. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
850
~ 1 in 403,240 Americans
Peak year
1992
60 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,903
Tracked since 1953
Gender
Gender distribution for Chavez
Out of the 876 babies given the name Chavez since 1880, 99.1% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Chavez as a male name
- Ranked #12,621 in 2024
- 5 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1992 (60 births)
Chavez as a female name
- Ranked #8,903 in 1989
- 8 female births in 1989
- Peak: 1989 (8 births)
Popularity
Chavez: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chavez from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 352 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chavez by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Chavez during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Chavez' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. Georgia, Michigan, Ohio recorded the most babies named Chavez, while New York, North Carolina, Maryland recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 6 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Chavez
The name Chavez originates from the Spanish language and has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in the regions of Spain and Portugal. It is derived from the word "chavo," which means "boy" or "lad" in Spanish.
In the early medieval period, the name Chavez was likely used as a nickname or a descriptive term to refer to a young man or a boy. Over time, it transitioned into a given name, particularly among Spanish and Portuguese communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chavez dates back to the 13th century, where it appeared in various historical documents and records from the Iberian Peninsula. During this period, the name was closely associated with the noble and aristocratic classes of society.
Notably, the name Chavez appeared in the famous Spanish epic poem "El Cantar de Mio Cid," written in the 12th century. This literary work, which recounts the exploits of the legendary Castilian hero El Cid, featured characters bearing the name Chavez, indicating its widespread use during that era.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Chavez. One of the most prominent was César Chávez (1927-1993), an American labor leader and civil rights activist who fought for the rights of farmworkers in the United States.
Another notable figure was Julio César Chávez (born 1962), a Mexican professional boxer and multiple-time world champion in various weight classes. His exceptional boxing career and achievements made him a national icon in Mexico.
In the realm of literature, César Augusto Chávez Gutiérrez (born 1940) was a renowned Peruvian novelist and poet, known for his works that explored indigenous cultural themes and social issues.
The name Chavez also has a strong connection to the Catholic Church, with several religious figures bearing this name. One example is Fray Pedro de Chávez (1537-1592), a Spanish Franciscan friar who traveled to New Spain (present-day Mexico) and played a significant role in the evangelization efforts in the region.
Additionally, Fray Ángel Chávez (1910-1986) was a Mexican Catholic priest and activist who dedicated his life to promoting social justice and advocating for the rights of indigenous communities in Mexico.
People
Chavez + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chavez as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Chavez: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chavez?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 850 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chavez going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 403,240 US residents.
Is Chavez a common name?
We classify Chavez as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 876 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chavez most popular?
The single biggest year for Chavez was 1992, when 60 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chavez is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Chavez a male name?
Yes, 99.1% of people registered as Chavez in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.