Alvers last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Alvers

A topographic surname referring to one who lived near or by an alder tree.

Alvers, 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 Alvers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alvers in America

Alvers is the 93921st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alvers surname appeared 195 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 Alvers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alvers 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank93921863418.41%
Count195201-3.03%
Proportion per 100k0.070.070.00%

The history of the last name Alvers

The surname Alvers originated in England, tracing its roots to the early medieval period, particularly the Norman invasion of 1066. It is believed to have derived from the Old French name Alvered, which was a combination of the Germanic elements "alf" (meaning elf) and "rad" (meaning counsel).

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Alvers surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and taxation records commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname were among the Norman settlers who accompanied William during the conquest.

As the name spread across England, various spellings emerged, such as Alvarez, Alvarey, and Alverye. These variations often reflected regional dialects and scribal interpretations. Some of the earliest recorded bearers of the Alvers name include Roger Alvers, a landowner in Hampshire mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1194, and William Alvers, a prominent merchant in London during the 14th century.

The Alvers surname also has connections to place names, notably the village of Alvers in Dorset, which may have contributed to the name's evolution. Interestingly, in the 16th century, John Alvers, a renowned theologian and scholar, was born in this village and later became a professor at Oxford University (1515-1570).

Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the Alvers surname. One such figure was Sir William Alvers (1592-1668), a distinguished military officer who served in the English Civil War and was knighted for his bravery. Another prominent bearer was Sir Robert Alvers (1638-1701), a successful merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1689.

During the 18th century, the Alvers family gained prominence in the literary world with the birth of Mary Alvers (1720-1788), a celebrated poet and playwright. Her works were widely acclaimed and often explored themes of love, nature, and societal commentary.

In the realm of science, Sir Edward Alvers (1812-1886) made significant contributions as a renowned botanist and explorer. He led several expeditions to remote regions, documenting and cataloging numerous plant species, many of which bear his name in honor of his discoveries.

While the Alvers surname may not be as prevalent today as it once was, its rich history and diverse representations across various fields have left an indelible mark on English heritage and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alvers

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

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 Alvers was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only80.51%157
Non-Hispanic Black Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races(S)%(S)
Hispanic Origin14.87%29

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 Alvers has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White80.51%85.57%-6.09%
Black(S)%(S)%(S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander(S)%0.00%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%(S)%(S)%
Two or More Races(S)%(S)%(S)%
Hispanic14.87%11.44%26.07%

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

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

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