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

Alvirez, 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 Alvirez surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alvirez in America

Alvirez is the 124548th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alvirez surname appeared 138 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 Alvirez.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alvirez 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 Alvirez

The surname Alvirez has its origins in Spain, specifically in the regions of Castile and Andalusia. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, between the 10th and 13th centuries. Alvirez is a patronymic surname, meaning it was derived from a given name, in this case, the Old Spanish name Alvaro or Alvarus.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Alvirez can be found in the "Becerro de las Behetrías de Castilla" (Book of Landholdings of Castile), a census-like document compiled in the 14th century, which lists various individuals with this surname. The name also appears in several medieval manuscripts and charters from the Iberian Peninsula during this time period.

The name Alvirez is closely related to the German name Alberich or Alberic, which has its roots in the Germanic words "alf" (meaning "elf" or "supernatural being") and "ric" (meaning "ruler" or "power"). This connection suggests that the name may have been originally associated with Germanic tribes that migrated to the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages.

One notable individual with the surname Alvirez was Diego Alvirez, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in the early 16th century. Another was Juan Alvirez, a Spanish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Reconquista against the Moors in the late 15th century.

In the 17th century, the Alvirez family established a presence in the Americas, particularly in Mexico and Peru, where they held land and positions of power. One member, Pedro Alvirez (1595-1667), was a prominent landowner and politician in colonial Mexico.

The name Alvirez has also been associated with several places in Spain, such as the town of Alvirez in the province of Salamanca, which likely derived its name from a person with this surname.

Other notable individuals with the surname Alvirez include Juan Antonio Alvirez (1718-1790), a Spanish painter active in the 18th century, and Miguel Alvirez (1830-1898), a Mexican military officer and politician who served as Governor of Nuevo León in the late 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alvirez

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

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

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

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