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

Alavez, 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 Alavez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alavez in America

Alavez is the 23750th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alavez surname appeared 1,065 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 Alavez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alavez 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 Alavez

The surname ALAVEZ has its origins in Spain and Portugal, where it is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "alavez," which means "inhabitant of Alava," a province located in the Basque region of northern Spain. This suggests that the name likely originated from a place name or a descriptive term referring to someone who hailed from that specific area.

While the earliest recorded instances of the ALAVEZ surname are not entirely clear, it is mentioned in several historical documents and records from the medieval period. One notable example is the "Libro de las Behetrías," a 14th-century manuscript that documented feudal rights and privileges in the region of Castile. This document contains references to individuals with variations of the ALAVEZ surname, such as "Alaves" and "Alavés."

During the 15th century, the name appeared in various legal documents and municipal records from various parts of Spain, particularly in areas with strong Basque influence or connections to the province of Alava. One notable figure from this period was Juan de Alavez, a prominent landowner and nobleman who lived in the late 15th century and possessed substantial properties in the region of Álava.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the ALAVEZ surname gained wider recognition, with several individuals bearing this name achieving notable positions or accomplishments. One such figure was Pedro de Alavez, a Basque-Spanish explorer and navigator who participated in various expeditions to the Americas in the early 16th century. Another was Alonso de Alavez, a renowned architect who contributed to the construction of several important buildings and churches in Spain during the late 16th century.

As the Spanish Empire expanded, the ALAVEZ surname spread to various parts of the Americas, particularly in regions with strong Spanish colonial influence. In Mexico, for instance, there are records of individuals with the ALAVEZ surname dating back to the 17th century, including Juan Alavez, a prominent landowner and rancher in the state of Nuevo León during the mid-1600s.

Throughout the centuries, the ALAVEZ surname has maintained its presence in Spain, Portugal, and various parts of Latin America, with individuals bearing this name continuing to make contributions in various fields, from academia and the arts to politics and business.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alavez

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!