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

Alava, 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 Alava surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alava in America

Alava is the 34967th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alava surname appeared 645 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 Alava.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alava 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 Alava

The surname Alava has its origins in the Basque region of Spain and France. It is derived from the Basque place name Álava, which refers to the province of Álava in northern Spain. The name is believed to have emerged in the 10th or 11th century.

Álava is an ancient territory that was once part of the Kingdom of Navarre. The earliest recorded mention of the place name Álava dates back to the 9th century, when it appeared in medieval documents as "Alaba" or "Álava". The name is thought to be of pre-Roman origin, possibly stemming from an old Basque word or phrase.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Alava can be found in the Becerro Galicano, a medieval manuscript from the 13th century that documented noble families in the region. The document mentions several individuals with the name Alava, suggesting that it was already well-established as a surname by that time.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Pedro López de Alava served as a magistrate and ambassador for the Crown of Castile. He was involved in negotiations with the Kingdom of Navarre and played a role in the conflict between Castile and Aragón.

During the 16th century, a Spanish soldier named Diego Ramírez de Alava (c. 1500-1580) gained recognition for his military service in the Spanish conquest of the Americas. He participated in the expeditions of Hernán Cortés and Pedro de Valdivia, and later served as a governor in Chile.

Another prominent individual with the surname Alava was Ignacio María de Álava (1750-1817), a Spanish naval officer and politician who served as Minister of the Navy under King Charles IV. He played a significant role in the Napoleonic Wars and was involved in the defense of Cádiz against French forces.

In the 19th century, Miguel Ricardo de Álava (1770-1843) was a celebrated Spanish general who fought against Napoleon's forces during the Peninsular War. He later served as a diplomat and was appointed as the Spanish ambassador to various European countries.

Throughout history, the surname Alava has been associated with notable figures from the Basque region, as well as individuals who have made contributions in military, political, and diplomatic spheres. While the name's origins can be traced back to a specific place in northern Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alava

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

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 Alava 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 Alava 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 Alava was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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