Find out how popular the last name Acquaviva is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Acquaviva.

Acquaviva, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Acquaviva surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Acquaviva in America

Acquaviva is the 28498th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Acquaviva surname appeared 837 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Acquaviva.

We can also compare 2010 data for Acquaviva to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Acquaviva

The surname Acquaviva originates from Italy and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Italian words "acqua" meaning water and "viva" meaning alive or living, suggesting a connection to a location with a natural water source or a lively waterway.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Acquaviva appears in a manuscript from the town of Acquaviva delle Fonti in the Apulia region of southern Italy, dated around 1150. This town's name, which translates to "living water," is believed to be the source of the surname.

The Acquaviva family was a prominent noble family in the Kingdom of Naples during the Middle Ages. They held significant power and influence in the region and were involved in various political and military affairs. One notable member was Andrea Matteo III Acquaviva d'Aragona (1458-1529), who served as the Duke of Atri and played a crucial role in the Italian Wars of the early 16th century.

Another prominent figure bearing the surname Acquaviva was Claudio Acquaviva (1543-1615), an Italian Jesuit who served as the fifth Superior General of the Society of Jesus from 1581 to 1615. He was instrumental in shaping the Society's policies and practices during a period of significant growth and expansion.

In the 17th century, Ottavio Acquaviva d'Aragona (1601-1674) was a notable Italian cardinal and diplomat who served as the Cardinal-Bishop of Palestrina and played a vital role in various papal conclaves and negotiations.

The Acquaviva surname has also been associated with several notable literary figures, such as the Italian playwright and poet Camillo Acquaviva (1675-1741), who was renowned for his comedic works and contributions to the commedia dell'arte tradition.

Throughout its history, the Acquaviva surname has been recorded with various spellings, including Acquaviva, Acquaviva d'Aragona, and Acquaviva delle Fonti, reflecting its geographical origins and the influence of different regional dialects and linguistic variations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Acquaviva

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Acquaviva.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Acquaviva was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Acquaviva has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Acquaviva was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Acquaviva, please contact us.

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