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

Alvarado, 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 Alvarado surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alvarado in America

Alvarado is the 123064th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alvarado surname appeared 140 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 Alvarado.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alvarado 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 Alvarado

The surname ALUARADO has its origins in Spain, specifically in the region of Andalusia. It is believed to have emerged during the 12th century, when the Moors ruled over parts of the Iberian Peninsula. The name is derived from the Arabic words "al-wardi," which translates to "the rose" or "the flower."

One of the earliest documented instances of the ALUARADO surname can be found in a Moorish manuscript from the city of Córdoba, dated around 1180. This document records the name of a prominent merchant family, the Alwaradi, who dealt in the trade of spices and textiles. It is likely that the modern spelling of ALUARADO evolved from this original Arabic form.

During the Reconquista, when the Christian kingdoms of Spain gradually reclaimed territories from the Moors, the ALUARADO family migrated to other parts of the country. Historical records from the 14th century mention individuals bearing this surname in the regions of Castile and Aragon.

One notable figure with the ALUARADO surname was Diego ALUARADO (1480-1542), a Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico. He played a significant role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire and later served as the governor of Santiago de los Caballeros, in present-day Guatemala.

In the 16th century, a branch of the ALUARADO family settled in the Canary Islands, where they established themselves as wealthy landowners and merchants. Juan ALUARADO (1522-1589), a native of the island of Tenerife, became a renowned navigator and cartographer, contributing to the exploration and mapping of the Atlantic Ocean.

Another prominent figure was Catalina ALUARADO (1590-1648), a Spanish nun and writer who authored several spiritual works and was renowned for her devotion to charitable causes. Her writings were widely circulated and influenced religious thought during the Counter-Reformation period.

As the Spanish Empire expanded across the Americas, the ALUARADO surname traveled with colonists and explorers to various regions. Notably, in the 17th century, a family with this surname established a hacienda in the Viceroyalty of New Spain (present-day Mexico), where they became prominent landowners and ranchers.

Throughout the centuries, the ALUARADO surname has maintained a strong presence in Spanish-speaking countries, with branches of the family spreading across Spain, Latin America, and beyond. Despite its Arabic origins, the name has become deeply ingrained in Hispanic culture and history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alvarado

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

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

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

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