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

Alvara, 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 Alvara surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alvara in America

Alvara is the 58481st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alvara surname appeared 347 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 Alvara.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alvara 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 Alvara

The surname Alvara has its origins in Spain and Portugal, where it first emerged in the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Arabic name "Al-Wahrah," which means "the flower" or "the rose." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near or was associated with a prominent rose garden or floral area.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Alvara date back to the 13th century, when it appeared in various historical records and documents in the regions of Andalusia and Castile. One notable example is found in the "Libro de las Behetrías" (Book of Behetrias), a 14th-century manuscript that recorded landholdings and privileges in the Crown of Castile.

In the 15th century, the name Alvara was associated with several prominent figures. One such individual was Juan de Alvara, a Spanish explorer and navigator who participated in the discovery and exploration of the Canary Islands in the early 1400s. Another notable bearer of the name was Pedro de Alvara, a renowned architect who designed several churches and buildings in Seville during the late 15th century.

As the name spread throughout the Iberian Peninsula, it also appeared in various place names and toponyms. For example, the town of Alvara in the province of Rioja, Spain, likely derived its name from the surname. Similarly, the village of Alvares in Portugal may have originated from a variant spelling of the same name.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Alvara surname gained further prominence with individuals like Juan de Alvara y Alarcón (1456-1540), a Spanish poet and dramatist renowned for his works in the Golden Age of Spanish literature. Another notable figure was Pedro de Alvara Cabral (1467-1520), the Portuguese explorer credited with the discovery of Brazil in 1500.

Throughout the following centuries, the Alvara surname continued to be carried by notable individuals, such as Francisco de Alvara y Vega (1629-1687), a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of New Mexico in the late 17th century. In more recent times, the Spanish painter and sculptor Julio Alvara (1884-1942) gained recognition for his contributions to the avant-garde art movements of the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alvara

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

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

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

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