2000
#63,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 296
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Aves
A surname derived from the Latin word for birds or fowls.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 413 Americans carry the last name Aves. That puts it at #60,433 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 829,914 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Aves surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Aves with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
413
1 in 829,914
Census rank
#60,433
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
360
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 360 bearers of the surname Aves in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 60433rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Aves, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (26.9%) and Hispanic (14.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Aves
The surname "AVES" has its origins in the Latin word "avis," meaning "bird." This name likely arose as a descriptive surname during the Middle Ages, referring to a person who had some association with birds, such as a bird keeper, falconer, or someone who lived near a place frequented by birds.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname "AVES" can be traced back to England in the 13th century. In 1273, a William Aves is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I, providing valuable information about landowners and their properties.
In the 14th century, the surname appears in various spellings, including "Avis," "Avys," and "Avyce," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common during that time. One notable example is John Avys, who was recorded as a resident of Wiltshire in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1332.
The surname "AVES" has also been associated with place names in England, such as Aveton Gifford in Devon, which was formerly known as "Afetone" in the Domesday Book of 1086. It is possible that some individuals with the surname "AVES" adopted it based on their place of origin or residence.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname "AVES." One of the earliest recorded was Sir Thomas Aves, a prominent English merchant and alderman who lived in the 15th century. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1490 and was known for his involvement in trade and civic affairs.
In the 16th century, John Aves (c. 1520 - c. 1595) was an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Dean of Windsor and the Bishop of London. He was a respected figure in the Church of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
During the 17th century, Edward Aves (1615 - 1668) was an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Radnorshire. He was also a member of the Council of State during the English Commonwealth period.
In the 19th century, John Aves (1789 - 1859) was a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Paddington.
Another notable figure was Sir John Aves (1856 - 1920), a British civil servant and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of the Straits Settlements (now part of Malaysia) from 1913 to 1919.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aves
Among Census respondents with the surname Aves, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (26.9%) and Hispanic (14.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Aves bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Aves surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White53.6% · 193
- Asian and Pacific Islander26.9% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino14.2% · 51
- Two or more races4.4% · 16
- Black or African American0.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Aves
Aves appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#58,604
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 346
+50 bearers (+16.9%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 4,537 places
2020
#60,433
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 360
+14 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 1,829 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #63,141 | 296 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #58,604 | 346 | 0.12 | +50 bearers (+16.9%) | Up 4,537 places |
| 2020 | #60,433 | 360 | 0.12 | +14 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 1,829 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Aves surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #58,604 | #60,433 | -3.1% |
| Count | 346 | 360 | 4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Aves bearers went from 346 to 360 (+4.0% change). The surname moved down 1,829 positions in the national ranking, going from #58,604 to #60,433.
FAQ
Aves surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Aves?
Name Census estimates that about 413 living Americans carry the surname Aves. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 829,914 residents.
How common is Aves?
Aves ranks #60,433 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 360 people with the surname Aves. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (413), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Aves.
Has Aves become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Aves went from 346 recorded bearers to 360. That is an increase of 14 (+4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #58,604 to #60,433.
What does the Census say about the background of Aves?
Among Census respondents with the surname Aves, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (26.9%) and Hispanic (14.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Aves in the 2020 Census, accounting for 53.6% (193 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Aves appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (53.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (26.9%), Hispanic (14.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Aves (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Aves mean?
A surname derived from the Latin word for birds or fowls. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Aves (0.12 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Aves?
Find out how many people are called Aves on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.